ECC Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the ECC exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 ECC Exam Format at a Glance
📚 ECC Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample ECC Questions & Answers
1. A hospital's IHCA (in-hospital cardiac arrest) team wants to compare its survival rate to national benchmarks. The most appropriate national benchmark source is:
The American Heart Association's GWTG-Resuscitation registry provides the largest national IHCA dataset with risk-adjusted benchmarks specifically for in-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes.
2. The 'pit crew' CPR model emphasizes which key principle?
The pit crew model assigns each team member a predefined role executed simultaneously with precision, analogous to a NASCAR pit stop, to minimize CPR interruptions and time to defibrillation.
3. A patient has a heart rate of 150 bpm with a narrow complex tachycardia on the monitor. The rhythm has no identifiable P waves. Which rhythm is most likely?
Atrial fibrillation characteristically presents with an irregularly irregular rhythm, no discernible P waves, and a rate typically between 100-180 bpm.
4. A patient in refractory cardiogenic shock following ROSC is not responding to vasopressors. Which mechanical circulatory support device is most commonly considered in this scenario?
VA-ECMO (venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) provides full cardiopulmonary support and is the preferred device for refractory cardiogenic shock post-arrest when other measures fail.
5. During a code, a team member correctly identifies an error in medication dosing but the team leader ignores it. What should the team member do?
Closed-loop communication and assertiveness are professional obligations when patient safety is at risk, even when challenging authority.
6. Maintaining patient privacy during a resuscitation in a shared emergency department bay is an example of which HIPAA principle?
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires protecting individually identifiable health information even in emergency settings.