FREE ACLS Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Question and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following symptoms does a tension pneumothorax not exhibit?

Accepted Answer

Hypertension

Answer

A tension pneumothorax results from air accumulating in the pleural space, which compresses the lung and shifts mediastinal structures, impairing venous return to the heart. This leads to a significant decrease in cardiac output and systemic hypotension, not hypertension. Dyspnea, jugular venous distension (JVD), and subcutaneous emphysema are all expected findings due to the compromised respiratory and circulatory function.

Question 2

Peripheral edema is a sign of heart issues in a patient. What kind of congestion would you expect to see?

Accepted Answer

Congestion in the systemic venous circulation

Answer

Peripheral edema, especially in the lower extremities, is a classic sign of right-sided heart failure. When the right ventricle fails to pump blood effectively, blood backs up into the systemic venous circulation. This increased pressure in the veins forces fluid out of the capillaries and into the surrounding tissues, causing visible swelling.

Question 3

What reduces when preload is decreased by hypovolemia?

Accepted Answer

Cardiac output

Answer

Preload refers to the volume of blood stretching the ventricular muscle fibers at the end of diastole. Hypovolemia, or low blood volume, directly reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, thereby decreasing preload. According to the Frank-Starling mechanism, a reduced preload leads to a decreased stroke volume, which in turn lowers the overall cardiac output.

Question 4

If a patient has an 80 ml stroke volume and an 80 bpm heart rate, what is their cardiac output?

Accepted Answer

6400ml

Answer

Cardiac output (CO) is calculated by multiplying the stroke volume (SV) by the heart rate (HR). In this case, the stroke volume is 80 mL and the heart rate is 80 bpm. Therefore, CO = 80 mL/beat * 80 beats/minute = 6400 mL/minute.

Question 5

How long should a child be suctioned for in order to prevent hypoxia?

Accepted Answer

5-10 seconds

Answer

Suctioning removes oxygen from the airway along with secretions, which can quickly lead to hypoxia, especially in children who have smaller lung volumes. To minimize the risk of desaturation and adverse effects, each suctioning attempt in a child should be limited to a brief duration, typically 5-10 seconds.

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FREE ACLS Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Question and Answers