Free BLS Certification: Cardiac Arrest Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You see a middle-aged man collapse and hold his chest as you prepare to go into the elevator to go to the lunch room while you are alone and on your lunch break. Currently, the man is lying on the ground.
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What should your initial course of action be in cases of cardiac arrest emergencies like this one?
- verify scene safety (Correct answer)
- get a defibrillator
- begin CPR
- verify unresponsiveness
Correct answer: verify scene safety
In any emergency situation, the absolute first step is always to ensure scene safety for yourself and the victim. You cannot effectively help someone if you become injured or put yourself in danger. Only after confirming the scene is safe should you proceed to check for unresponsiveness, call for help, and initiate further emergency actions like CPR or retrieving a defibrillator.
Question 2: You start the BLS healthcare professional adult cardiac arrest protocol after making sure the victim is in a secure location away from the elevator. What will you do right away?
- get a defibrillator
- give 2 rescue breaths
- begin CPR
- check responsiveness (Correct answer)
Correct answer: check responsiveness
The very first step in the BLS healthcare professional adult cardiac arrest protocol, after ensuring scene safety, is to check for responsiveness. This initial assessment helps determine if the victim is conscious and requires further intervention. Only after confirming unresponsiveness do you proceed to call for help and assess for breathing and pulse.
Question 3: After determining that the man is not responding, you call out for assistance. After establishing inattentiveness and yelling for assistance, what action should you take next?
- activate the emergency response system (Correct answer)
- place the patient in rescue position
- begin CPR
- get a defibrillator
Correct answer: activate the emergency response system
After determining that the victim is unresponsive and calling out for assistance, the next crucial step for a single rescuer is to activate the emergency response system (e.g., call 911 or activate a 'code blue'). This ensures that professional help is on the way. Once activated, the rescuer can then proceed with further assessment and interventions like checking for a pulse and breathing.
Question 4: A nearby button marked "code blue" is pressed. Nobody has yet shown up to offer assistance. As a single rescuer, what should you do at this point?
- begin CPR
- call 911
- Get an AED or defibrillator and emergency equipment (Correct answer)
- go find help
Correct answer: Get an AED or defibrillator and emergency equipment
As a single rescuer, after activating the emergency response system (pressing 'code blue'), the next priority is to retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and any other emergency equipment. Early defibrillation is critical for survival in many cardiac arrest cases. While waiting for help to arrive, the rescuer should bring the AED back to the patient to be ready for use.
Question 5: You return to the patient after obtaining the AED. Another rescue team shows up to assist as you leave. Choose the two interventions that will be carried out concurrently now that there are two rescuers?
- Power on the AED (Correct answer)
- give 2 rescue breaths
- Check breathing and pulse
- begin CPR
Correct answer: Power on the AED
With two rescuers present, BLS protocols emphasize concurrent actions to optimize care. While one rescuer can immediately begin CPR (chest compressions and ventilations), the other rescuer should prepare the AED. The first step in preparing the AED is to power it on, allowing it to guide the subsequent steps of pad placement and rhythm analysis.
Question 6: Chest compressions should be used as the first step in CPR if you DON'T DEFINITELY feel a pulse in the first ______ seconds.
Correct answer: 10
According to BLS guidelines, a pulse check should not take longer than 10 seconds. If you do not definitely feel a pulse within this 10-second window, or if you are unsure, you should immediately begin chest compressions. Prompt initiation of CPR is vital for maintaining blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.
Question 7: You start CPR once the pulse check confirms that there is no pulse. What else are you supposed to do right now?
- ensure cycles of CPR are performed 30 compressions to 2 ventilations
- follow the AED instructions
- allow the chest to recoil completely after each compression
- all of the above (Correct answer)
Correct answer: all of the above
All the listed actions are essential components of high-quality CPR. Ensuring cycles of 30 compressions to 2 ventilations (for single rescuer adult CPR), allowing complete chest recoil, and following AED instructions are critical for effective resuscitation. Therefore, 'all of the above' is the correct answer, as these elements work together to maximize the victim's chances of survival.
Question 8: After determining that the kid is not breathing, you call for help in finding an AED and calling 911. While one man starts to call 911, another woman is rushing to find an AED. There are those who are willing to help.
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What is your next course of action?
- begin CPR with chest compressions
- give two rescue breaths
- check for a pulse and breathing simultaneously (Correct answer)
- wait for the defibrillator
Correct answer: check for a pulse and breathing simultaneously
After determining unresponsiveness and sending someone to activate emergency services and retrieve an AED, the next immediate action is to assess the victim's condition. This involves simultaneously checking for both breathing and a pulse for no more than 10 seconds. This assessment guides whether to start CPR or provide rescue breaths.
Question 9: Both the absence of a pulse and the absence of breathing are confirmed by you and the other person. What should you do as you wait for the defibrillator to show up?
- begin CPR with a 30:2 ratio compressions to breaths.
- begin CPR with a 15:2 ratio of compressions to breaths (Correct answer)
- monitor until emergency responders arrive
- check the pulse again
Correct answer: begin CPR with a 15:2 ratio of compressions to breaths
For child CPR with two rescuers, the recommended compression-to-ventilation ratio is 15 compressions to 2 breaths. This ratio is used when a pulse is absent and breathing is absent or abnormal. This adjusted ratio provides more frequent ventilations, which are often crucial in pediatric cardiac arrest, which is more commonly respiratory in origin.
Question 10: As you finish the fifth cycle of 15:2 CPR, assistance with an AED arrives.
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(True or False) Use adult AED pads for children 8 years of age and older.
- False
- True (Correct answer)
Correct answer: True
True. Adult AED pads are appropriate for children 8 years of age and older, or those weighing more than 55 pounds (25 kg). For younger children or those weighing less, attenuated pediatric pads or a pediatric dose attenuator cable should be used if available. If pediatric pads are not available, adult pads can be used, ensuring they do not touch each other.
Question 11: As your partner takes over chest compressions, you and your partner transfer from administering compressions to providing ventilations. While another assistant turns on and attaches the AED, this switch is made. The victim's rhythm is examined by the AED.
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(True or False) Rescue breathing should continue throughout the AED rhythm evaluation.
- False (Correct answer)
- True
Correct answer: False
False. During AED rhythm evaluation and shock delivery, all rescuers must stand clear of the patient. Continuing rescue breathing or chest compressions during this time would interfere with the AED's analysis and could endanger the rescuer. CPR should be paused only for rhythm analysis and shock delivery, then immediately resumed.
