ACLS Airway Management & Ventilation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended tidal volume when providing bag-mask ventilation to an adult patient in cardiac arrest?
- 200-300 mL
- 500-600 mL (Correct answer)
- 800-1000 mL
- 1200-1500 mL
Correct answer: 500-600 mL
500-600 mL is sufficient to produce visible chest rise without causing gastric distension or barotrauma.
Question 2: What is the preferred method for confirming endotracheal tube (ETT) placement during ACLS?
- Chest X-ray
- Waveform capnography (Correct answer)
- Auscultation of bilateral breath sounds
- Condensation visible in the tube
Correct answer: Waveform capnography
Waveform capnography is the most reliable method for both confirming initial ETT placement and continuously monitoring it throughout ACLS.
Question 3: Once an advanced airway is secured during CPR, what is the recommended ventilation rate?
- 1 breath every 2 seconds (30/min)
- 1 breath every 6 seconds (10/min) (Correct answer)
- 1 breath every 3 seconds (20/min)
- 1 breath every 10 seconds (6/min)
Correct answer: 1 breath every 6 seconds (10/min)
With an advanced airway in place, deliver 1 breath every 6 seconds (10/min) asynchronously without pausing chest compressions.
Question 4: What is the most common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious patient?
- Foreign body aspiration
- Tongue falling back against the pharynx (Correct answer)
- Laryngospasm
- Excessive secretions
Correct answer: Tongue falling back against the pharynx
Loss of muscle tone in unconscious patients causes the tongue to fall back against the posterior pharynx, creating an obstruction.
Question 5: Which airway maneuver is preferred for a patient with a suspected cervical spine injury who requires ventilation?
- Head-tilt chin-lift
- Jaw thrust (Correct answer)
- Modified head-tilt
- Neck hyperextension
Correct answer: Jaw thrust
The jaw thrust opens the airway without extending the cervical spine, making it the preferred technique when spinal injury is suspected.
Question 6: An ETCO2 value below 10 mmHg during ongoing CPR most likely indicates which of the following?
- Excellent chest compression quality
- Hyperventilation by the provider
- Poor CPR quality or inadequate cardiac output (Correct answer)
- Correct endotracheal tube placement
Correct answer: Poor CPR quality or inadequate cardiac output
ETCO2 below 10 mmHg reflects poor pulmonary blood flow due to inadequate cardiac output, signaling suboptimal CPR quality.
Question 7: Which supraglottic airway device is an acceptable alternative to endotracheal intubation in ACLS for providers not skilled in laryngoscopy?
- Nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)
- Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) (Correct answer)
- Oropharyngeal airway (OPA)
- Simple face mask
Correct answer: Laryngeal mask airway (LMA)
The LMA and other supraglottic airways provide a secure airway and allow ventilation without requiring direct laryngoscopy.
ACLS Airway Management & Ventilation 1
What is the recommended tidal volume when providing bag-mask ventilation to an adult patient in cardiac arrest?