AEMCA - Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant Cardiovascular Emergencies Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 68-year-old male presents with sudden onset of severe tearing chest pain that radiates to his back.
He has a history of uncontrolled hypertension.
His vital signs are BP 210/110 mmHg, HR 110 bpm, and RR 22 breaths/min.
There is a noticeable difference in blood pressure between his right and left arms.
Which of the following conditions is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Aortic Dissection

Answer

Acute Myocardial Infarction

Answer

Pulmonary Embolism

Answer

Pericarditis

Question 2

You are treating a 75-year-old female with a history of congestive heart failure (CHF) who presents with severe dyspnea, crackles in all lung fields, and pitting edema in her lower extremities. Which of the following prehospital interventions is most appropriate for managing her acute pulmonary edema?

Accepted Answer

Administering nitroglycerin and applying Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

Answer

Administering a 500 mL normal saline fluid bolus

Answer

Placing the patient in a supine position

Answer

Preparing for immediate defibrillation

Question 3

According to the Ontario Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards (ALS PCS), which of the following is a primary indication for administering Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) in the prehospital setting?

Accepted Answer

Chest pain or discomfort suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)

Answer

Symptomatic bradycardia

Answer

Hypertensive emergency with a systolic BP > 180 mmHg

Answer

Confirmed diagnosis of pericarditis

Question 4

A 55-year-old male is found to be in a perfusing, wide-complex bradycardia with a heart rate of 38 bpm. He is pale, diaphoretic, and has a blood pressure of 80/50 mmHg. According to AEMCA-level protocols, which intervention should be prioritized after establishing IV access and administering oxygen?

Accepted Answer

Immediate application and initiation of transcutaneous pacing (TCP)

Answer

Administering a 1 mg dose of epinephrine

Answer

Preparing for synchronized cardioversion

Answer

Administering Atropine 0.5 mg IV

Question 5

Which of the following defines a hypertensive emergency, distinguishing it from hypertensive urgency?

Accepted Answer

The presence of acute end-organ damage.

Answer

A systolic blood pressure greater than 220 mmHg.

Answer

A diastolic blood pressure greater than 120 mmHg.

Answer

Symptoms such as headache and anxiety.

Question 6

You are assessing a patient with suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome. Which of the following 12-lead ECG findings is most indicative of a STEMI (ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) requiring immediate reperfusion therapy?

Accepted Answer

ST-segment elevation of 2 mm or more in two contiguous leads

Answer

ST-segment depression in leads V1-V4

Answer

Presence of a pathological Q-wave

Answer

Peaked T-waves in precordial leads