BLS Recognition of Cardiac Arrest 4

Question 1

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:

Accepted Answer

Sudden cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation

Answer

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.

Question 2

Which term describes the chain of events that maximizes survival from cardiac arrest?

Accepted Answer

Chain of Survival

Answer

The Chain of Survival outlines the sequential steps — recognition, activation, CPR, defibrillation, advanced care, and recovery — that together maximize cardiac arrest survival.

Question 3

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:

Accepted Answer

It is faster and reduces time to first compression

Answer

Simultaneously checking breathing and pulse minimizes the time to recognize cardiac arrest and start CPR, as sequential checks would unnecessarily delay interventions.

Question 4

Which of these is NOT a recognized warning sign that may precede sudden cardiac arrest?

Accepted Answer

Sudden onset of productive cough

Answer

A productive cough is associated with respiratory illness, not with impending cardiac arrest; the other options are recognized pre-arrest warning signs.

Question 5

After recognizing cardiac arrest in an adult, what is the recommended ratio of compressions to ventilations for a two-rescuer BLS team?

Accepted Answer

30:2

Answer

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.

BLS - Basic Life Support Practice Test

BLS - Basic Life Support Practice Test

BLS Recognition of Cardiac Arrest 4