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Cardiovascular Emergencies Flashcards

7 cards from real AEMCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Cardiovascular Emergencies flashcards as text

  1. A patient presents with a BP of 210/120 mmHg, severe headache, and blurred vision. This is classified as a hypertensive:

    Answer: Emergency with end-organ damage

    Hypertensive emergency is defined by severely elevated BP with acute end-organ damage (neurological symptoms here), requiring IV antihypertensive therapy.

  2. Which ECG finding differentiates Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome from other causes of SVT?

    Answer: Short PR interval and delta wave

    WPW is characterized by a short PR interval (<120 ms) and slurred upstroke of the QRS (delta wave) due to accessory pathway pre-excitation.

  3. A patient is found in cardiac arrest. The first responder has been performing CPR for 8 minutes. The monitor shows fine ventricular fibrillation. What is the MOST appropriate action?

    Answer: Immediately deliver a defibrillation shock

    Fine VF is still a shockable rhythm and should be defibrillated immediately; CPR has already been ongoing and a perfusing rhythm may be restored with defibrillation.

  4. ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, and aVF with reciprocal changes in leads I and aVL indicates an MI in which cardiac territory?

    Answer: Inferior wall

    Leads II, III, and aVF face the inferior wall of the left ventricle, so ST elevation in these leads with lateral reciprocal changes indicates an inferior MI.

  5. A patient taking warfarin presents with sudden severe tearing chest pain radiating to the back. BP is 190/100 in the right arm and 150/85 in the left arm. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Aortic dissection

    Aortic dissection classically presents with tearing back pain and a blood pressure differential between arms due to the dissection flap occluding the subclavian artery.

  6. During transcutaneous pacing for symptomatic bradycardia, how do you confirm mechanical capture?

    Answer: Palpate a pulse corresponding to the paced rate

    Mechanical capture is confirmed by palpating a pulse that corresponds to the set pacing rate, distinguishing true capture from electrical artifact.

  7. A patient with an acute MI develops new-onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response at 140 bpm and is hemodynamically stable. Which is the BEST initial management?

    Answer: Rate control with a beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker IV

    In stable AF with rapid ventricular response, the priority is rate control using IV beta-blockers (metoprolol) or non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (diltiazem).