CPR Medical Equipment & Response Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) on an adult, what tidal volume should each ventilation deliver?
- 200-300 mL
- 500-600 mL (Correct answer)
- 800-1000 mL
- 1200-1500 mL
Correct answer: 500-600 mL
Adult BVM ventilation should deliver approximately 500-600 mL tidal volume to produce visible chest rise without causing gastric inflation.
Question 2: A capnography waveform suddenly drops to near zero during CPR. What is the most likely cause?
- Return of spontaneous circulation
- Esophageal intubation (Correct answer)
- Hyperventilation
- Cardiac output improvement
Correct answer: Esophageal intubation
A sudden drop of end-tidal CO2 to near zero during CPR strongly suggests esophageal intubation, as the stomach produces little CO2.
Question 3: Which IV access site is preferred in cardiac arrest when peripheral IV cannot be established?
- Femoral vein
- External jugular vein
- Intraosseous (IO) access (Correct answer)
- Central subclavian vein
Correct answer: Intraosseous (IO) access
Intraosseous access is the preferred alternative when peripheral IV fails in cardiac arrest because it can be established rapidly and provides reliable drug delivery.
Question 4: A patient in respiratory failure has SpO2 of 88% on a non-rebreather mask at 15 LPM. What is the next best intervention?
- Increase flow to 20 LPM
- Apply a nasal cannula simultaneously
- Initiate CPAP or BiPAP (Correct answer)
- Administer IV furosemide immediately
Correct answer: Initiate CPAP or BiPAP
When a non-rebreather mask fails to maintain adequate oxygenation, positive pressure ventilation via CPAP or BiPAP is the next escalation step.
Question 5: The correct placement for anterior-posterior (AP) defibrillator pads is:
- Right clavicle and left lateral chest
- Center of sternum and left scapula (Correct answer)
- Left apex and right posterior chest
- Both sides of the sternum
Correct answer: Center of sternum and left scapula
AP pad placement positions one pad on the center of the sternum (anterior) and the other on the left scapula (posterior), which is recommended for atrial fibrillation cardioversion.
Question 6: Which finding on a pulse oximeter waveform indicates a reliable SpO2 reading?
- Flat plethysmographic waveform
- Irregular, erratic waveform
- Consistent pulsatile waveform matching heart rate (Correct answer)
- High perfusion index regardless of waveform shape
Correct answer: Consistent pulsatile waveform matching heart rate
A consistent pulsatile plethysmographic waveform that correlates with the patient's heart rate indicates reliable pulse oximetry signal quality.
Question 7: When preparing a stretcher-bound patient for air medical transport, which action is most important regarding IV lines?
- Remove all peripheral IVs to reduce infection risk
- Switch to saline locks and secure all lines (Correct answer)
- Increase IV flow rates to compensate for altitude
- Replace all bags with piggyback infusions
Correct answer: Switch to saline locks and secure all lines
All IV lines should be converted to saline locks or secured with loop management to prevent accidental dislodgement during air transport loading and turbulence.
CPR Medical Equipment & Response Operations 2
When using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) on an adult, what tidal volume should each ventilation deliver?