ACLS Practice Exam ( Updated 2024 ) Complete Questions & Answers (Solved) 100% Correct
- Some clues for PEA caused by acidosis (hydrogen ion) would be all of the below except:
- recent trauma
- history of diabetes
- renal failure
- smaller-amplitude QRS complexes
clues for PEA caused by acidosis (hydrogen ion) would be all of the below *except:*
Answer: 1 (Recent trauma, think about H's and T's)
2. Recommended treatment to reverse PEA caused by acidosis is:
- adequate ventilation
- sodium bicarbonate
- normal saline bolus
- both 1 and 2
Answer: 2 (Providing adequate ventilation and administration of socium bicarbonate both can help reverse PEA related to acidosis)
- PEA caused by HYPERkalemia may present with which of the following rhythm changes?
- narrow QRS complex, smaller P-waves, and T- waves taller and peaked
- wide QRS complex, taller P-waves, and T-waves taller and peaked
- wide QRS complex, smaller P-waves, and T-waves taller and peaked
- narrow QRS complex, smaller P-waves, and T-waves smaller and rounded
Answer: 3 (All of the following ECG changes can be seen in the patient with PEA caused by hyperkalemia: T waves that are taller and peaked, P waves that become smaller, Widened QRS, Sine-wave PEA (PEA rhythm has a sign-wave appearance)
- Patients that you might more commonly see with PEA caused by HYPER- kalemia are all
the following *except* which one?
- renal failure
- diabetes
- elderly
- dialysis recipient
Answer: 3 (Elderly, Any condition that involves renal function can place a patient at a higher risk for hyperkalemia. Renal failure, diabetes, recent dialysis, dialysis fistulas, and certain medications can put patients at risk for hyperkalemia)
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- Reversing HYPERkalemia is done using which of the following medications?
- sodium bicarbonate
- glucose and insulin
- albuterol
- any of the above
Answer: 4 (CPR & ECC Guidelines: Part 10 Special Circumstances, Hyperkalemia (11.2.1) These three medications shift potassium intracellularly and enhance potassium elimination)
- PEA caused by HYPOkalemia may present with which if the following symptoms?
- flattened T-waves, prominent U waves, wide QRS, prolonged QT
- peaked T-waves, prominent U waves, narrow QRS, prolonged QT
- flattened T-waves, prominent U waves, narrow QRS, shortened QT
- peaked T-waves, non-visible U waves, wide QRS, prolonged QT
Answer: 1 ( All of the following ECG changes can be seen with hypokalemia induced PEA: Flattened T-waves, prominent U waves, Wide QRS, prolonged QT, or wide complex tachycardia)
- Patients that you might more commonly see with PEA caused by HY- POkalemia are:
- diabetic patients
- patients using diuretics
- patients with chest pain
- all of the above
Answer: 2 (patients using diuretics. Many diuretics increase the excretion of potassium which can increase the risk of hypokalemia.)
8. A clue that PEA could be caused by drug overdose "Toxins" is:
- narrow QRS complex
- prolonged QT interval
- tachycardia
- tracheal deviation
Answer: 2 (prolonged QT. Various effects can be seen on an ECG with drug overdose, but the most common ECG change is the prolongation of the QT interval.)
- (True or False)
In patients with PEA/cardiac arrest and without known pulmonary embolism (PE), routine fibrinolytic treatment given during CPR shows no benefit and is not recommended.
Answer: True (Special Circumstances of Resuscitation Pulmonary
Embolism: "routine fibrinolytic treatment given during CPR shows no benefit and is not recommended." also "In patients with cardiac arrest due to presumed or known pulmonary 2 / 3
embolism, it is reasonable to administer fibrinolytics.")
10. Reversing PEA caused by Tamponade is performed by:
- chest tube placement
- emergency surgery
- pericardiocentesis
- needle decompression
Answer: 3 (pericardiocentesis. Cardiac tamponade is a condition in which an accumulation of fluid within the pericardium creates excessive pressure, which then prevents the heart from filling normally with blood. This can critically decrease the amount of blood that is pumped from the heart, which can be lethal. The removal of the excess fluid reverses this dangerous process.)
- Tension pneumothroax which can be a cause of PEA may be recognized by all of the
following symptoms *except:*
- unequal breath sounds
- neck vein distension
- wide QRS complex on ECG
- tracheal deviation
Answer: 3 (Major symptoms of PEA associated with tension pneumothorax include unequal breath sounds, difficulty with ventilation and neck vein distention. Most common seen during CPR will be difficulty with ventilation. This will also more commonly be associated with chest trauma.)
- The "T" in PEA representing Acute MI or massive pulmonary embolism stands for .
- tamponade
- thrombosis
- thoracic
- tension pneumothorax
Answer: 2 (thrombosis. )
- Pulmonary Thrombosis (massive pulmonary embolism) induced PEA may manifest itself
with which symptoms?
- no pulse with CPR
- distended neck veins
- narrow QRS complex on ECG
- all of the above
Answer: 4 (All of the above)
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