Cardiac Care & Emergency Pharmacology Flashcards
7 cards from real CEP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cardiac Care & Emergency Pharmacology flashcards as text
A patient presents with chest pain, diaphoresis, and the following ECG: ST elevation in II, III, aVF with reciprocal changes in I and aVL. Which artery is most likely occluded?
Answer: Right coronary artery
ST elevation in the inferior leads (II, III, aVF) with reciprocal lateral depression indicates right coronary artery occlusion causing an inferior STEMI.
Which of the following correctly describes the pharmacologic action of epinephrine in cardiac arrest?
Answer: Alpha-1 stimulation increasing coronary and cerebral perfusion pressure during CPR
In cardiac arrest, epinephrine's primary benefit is alpha-1 mediated vasoconstriction, which raises aortic diastolic pressure and improves coronary and cerebral perfusion during CPR.
A patient develops third-degree (complete) AV block with a ventricular rate of 30 bpm. Atropine has been given twice with no improvement. What is the next step?
Answer: Transcutaneous pacing
Complete heart block with a slow escape rhythm that does not respond to atropine requires transcutaneous pacing as a bridge to transvenous pacing.
A patient is in stable narrow-complex tachycardia at 170 bpm. Vagal maneuvers fail. Adenosine 6 mg and then 12 mg are both ineffective. What is the next intervention?
Answer: Verapamil 2.5-5 mg IV over 2 minutes
If adenosine fails in stable SVT, calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (2.5-5 mg IV) or diltiazem are the next pharmacologic option per AHA guidelines.
Which route of epinephrine administration is preferred in anaphylaxis?
Answer: Intramuscular injection into the anterolateral thigh using 1:1,000
Epinephrine 1:1,000 at 0.3-0.5 mg IM into the anterolateral thigh provides faster, more reliable absorption than subcutaneous injection in anaphylaxis.
A post-ROSC patient has a GCS of 6, BP 100/70, and a temperature of 37.2°C. Which intervention is now the standard of care for neuroprotection?
Answer: Targeted temperature management (TTM) at 32-36°C for 24 hours
Targeted temperature management (TTM) maintaining core temp at 32-36°C for at least 24 hours is recommended post-cardiac arrest in comatose survivors to improve neurologic outcomes.
A patient in cardiogenic shock has a BP of 70/50 and is in sinus rhythm at 100 bpm. Which vasopressor is most appropriate as initial therapy?
Answer: Norepinephrine infusion starting at 0.1 mcg/kg/min
Norepinephrine is the preferred vasopressor for cardiogenic shock due to its combined alpha-1 vasoconstriction and mild beta-1 inotropic support with less tachycardia than dopamine.