Recognition of Cardiac Arrest Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Recognition of Cardiac Arrest flashcards as text
A gym member collapses suddenly. A bystander says they saw him 'go down hard' while lifting weights. The MOST likely cause of his cardiac arrest is:
Answer: Sudden cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation
Sudden collapse during exertion in an adult is most commonly caused by sudden cardiac arrest, often triggered by ventricular fibrillation related to underlying coronary artery disease or structural heart disease.
Which term describes the chain of events that maximizes survival from cardiac arrest?
Answer: Chain of Survival
The Chain of Survival outlines the sequential steps — recognition, activation, CPR, defibrillation, advanced care, and recovery — that together maximize cardiac arrest survival.
A patient in a hospital bed suddenly becomes unresponsive. The nurse checks for breathing and pulse simultaneously for up to 10 seconds. This combined check is recommended because:
Answer: It is faster and reduces time to first compression
Simultaneously checking breathing and pulse minimizes the time to recognize cardiac arrest and start CPR, as sequential checks would unnecessarily delay interventions.
Which of these is NOT a recognized warning sign that may precede sudden cardiac arrest?
Answer: Sudden onset of productive cough
A productive cough is associated with respiratory illness, not with impending cardiac arrest; the other options are recognized pre-arrest warning signs.
After recognizing cardiac arrest in an adult, what is the recommended ratio of compressions to ventilations for a two-rescuer BLS team?
Answer: 30:2
The standard BLS compression-to-ventilation ratio for adult cardiac arrest (with or without an advanced airway) is 30:2 for a two-rescuer team without an advanced airway.
A teenage athlete collapses on the field during a game and is unresponsive with no normal breathing. What condition specific to young athletes should immediately come to mind?
Answer: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causing sudden cardiac arrest
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes and should be suspected with sudden unresponsive collapse during exercise.
When assessing an unresponsive adult for cardiac arrest, which action should occur within the FIRST 10 seconds?
Answer: Simultaneously check breathing and carotid pulse
AHA guidelines call for a simultaneous check of breathing and carotid pulse completed within 10 seconds to confirm cardiac arrest and initiate CPR without delay.