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Special Resuscitation Circumstances Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Special Resuscitation Circumstances flashcards as text

  1. A patient in cardiac arrest has a potassium level of 12 mEq/L. After calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, which definitive intervention removes potassium from the body?

    Answer: Emergency hemodialysis

    Emergency hemodialysis is the only intervention that definitively removes potassium from the body rapidly enough to be life-saving in severe hyperkalemia.

  2. Which resuscitation adjunct is considered a bridge to definitive treatment in refractory cardiac arrest from a reversible cause such as PE or severe hypothermia?

    Answer: Extracorporeal CPR (ECPR) via venoarterial ECMO

    Extracorporeal CPR (ECPR) using venoarterial ECMO maintains circulation and oxygenation while the reversible cause is treated, serving as the definitive bridge therapy.

  3. A construction worker is in cardiac arrest after electrocution from a high-voltage source. Which secondary injury concern must be assessed after ROSC?

    Answer: Rhabdomyolysis leading to acute renal failure from massive muscle destruction

    High-voltage electrocution causes massive rhabdomyolysis; myoglobinuria can precipitate in renal tubules causing acute kidney injury requiring aggressive IV fluid therapy.

  4. In asthma-related cardiac arrest, which ventilation strategy is critical to prevent worsening air trapping (auto-PEEP)?

    Answer: Low respiratory rate (6-8 breaths/min) and short inspiratory times with prolonged expiratory phase

    Permissive hypoventilation with a slow rate and prolonged expiratory time allows trapped air to exhale, preventing catastrophic barotrauma and worsening obstructive physiology.

  5. A patient in PEA arrest is found to have no cardiac activity on bedside ultrasound (pseudo-PEA vs. true PEA). What does absence of wall motion on POCUS indicate?

    Answer: True PEA (no mechanical cardiac activity), associated with very low survival

    Absence of cardiac wall motion on POCUS during PEA represents true electromechanical dissociation and carries an extremely poor prognosis.

  6. Which drug used in opioid overdose resuscitation requires caution in opioid-dependent patients because it may precipitate acute withdrawal and agitation?

    Answer: Naloxone (Narcan)

    Naloxone competitively displaces opioids from receptors and can precipitate severe acute withdrawal syndrome including seizures in opioid-dependent patients.

  7. A patient resuscitated from drowning is normothermic but remains comatose after ROSC. Which post-resuscitation intervention has the strongest evidence for improving neurological outcomes?

    Answer: Targeted temperature management (TTM) at 32-36°C for 24 hours

    Targeted temperature management (TTM) between 32-36°C for at least 24 hours is the best-evidenced neuroprotective intervention after cardiac arrest from any cause, including drowning.