Practice Test Geeks(CET) Certified Electrocardiogram Technician Practice Test
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Emergency Cardiac Monitoring Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Emergency Cardiac Monitoring flashcards as text

  1. A patient in the ICU has a heart rate of 38 bpm with hypotension and altered mental status. The monitor shows sinus bradycardia. First-line pharmacologic treatment is:

    Answer: Atropine 0.5 mg IV

    Atropine 0.5 mg IV (repeated up to 3 mg total) is the first-line drug for symptomatic sinus bradycardia by blocking vagal tone.

  2. ST-segment elevation in leads V1–V4 accompanied by a new left bundle branch block in a patient with chest pain is treated as:

    Answer: A STEMI equivalent requiring urgent reperfusion

    New LBBB with ischemic symptoms meets Sgarbossa criteria criteria for STEMI equivalent and warrants emergent catheterization.

  3. During telemetry monitoring, a patient shows 'sawtooth' flutter waves at approximately 300 bpm with a 4:1 AV conduction ratio. The ventricular rate would be:

    Answer: 75 bpm

    With 4:1 conduction, only 1 of every 4 atrial impulses conducts: 300 ÷ 4 = 75 bpm ventricular rate.

  4. Which electrolyte abnormality is associated with a prolonged QU interval that is often mistaken for a prolonged QT interval on the ECG?

    Answer: Hypokalemia

    Hypokalemia produces prominent U waves that merge with T waves, making the interval appear as a prolonged QT when it is actually QU.

  5. In the emergency setting, the preferred monitoring lead for detecting ST changes associated with left anterior descending artery occlusion is:

    Answer: Lead V5

    Lead V5 overlies the anterolateral wall supplied by the LAD and is the most sensitive single precordial lead for detecting anterior ischemia.

  6. A patient's monitor shows intermittent loss of pacing spikes from a temporary transvenous pacemaker despite a pacing rate set at 70 bpm. This finding is called:

    Answer: Failure to pace (output failure)

    Absence of pacing spikes when expected indicates the pacemaker is failing to deliver output, classified as failure to pace.

  7. The correct energy setting for the FIRST defibrillation attempt in an adult with pulseless VF using a biphasic defibrillator is typically:

    Answer: 100–120 joules (or manufacturer recommendation)

    Current AHA guidelines recommend 100–200 joules (or the manufacturer's recommended dose) for the first biphasic defibrillation attempt in adults.