Respiratory & Cardiovascular Emergencies

Sudden death following AMI is MOST often caused by:

VFIB

Common signs and symptoms of hypertensive emergency include:

a bounding pulse, a severe headache, and dizziness.

Which of the following is NOT a common sign or symptom associated with malfunction of an implanted cardiac pacemaker?

a rapid heart rate

When after load increases:

it becomes harder for the ventricle to push the blood through the blood vessels.

Angina pectoris occurs when:

myocardial oxygen demand exceeds the supply.

An AMI occurs when:

myocardial tissue dies secondary to an absence of oxygen

A 67 year old female presents with difficultly breathing and chest discomfort that awakened her from her sleep. She states that she has CHF, has had two previous heart attacks, and has prescribed nitro. She is conscious and alert with adequate breathing. Her blood pressure is 94/64 and her heart rate is 120. Treatment for this patient includes:

nitro for her chest pain

In contrast to AMI a dissecting aortic aneursym:

often presents with pain that is maximal from the onset.

Common signs and symptoms of AMI include all of the following, EXCEPT:

pain exacerbated by breathing

During your treatment of a woman in cardiac arrest, you apply the AED, analyze her cardiac rhythm and receive "no shock advise" message. This indicates that:

she is not in VFIB

A 67 year old female with severe chest pain becomes unresponsive, pulseless, and apneic during transport. You should:

stop the ambulance, begin CPR, and attach the AED as soon as possible.

When treating a patient with chest pain, you should assume that he or she is having an AMI because:

the cause of the pain cannot be diagnosed in the field.

Which of the following statements regarding the pain associated with AMI is correct?

It often fluctuates in intensity when the patient breaths.

The electrical impulse generated by the heart originates in the

SA node

A 66 year old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with substernal chest pressure of 2 hours duration. Her blood pressure is 140/90, pulse of 100 beats irregular, and respirations of 22 with adequate depth. The patient does not have prescribed nitroglycerin, but her husband does, you should:

administer oxygen, give her 324mg aspirin, and asses her further

Which of the following is a major difference between angina pectoris and AMI?

anginal pain typically subsides with rest

A 49 year old male presents with an acute onset of crushing chest pain and diaphoresis. You should:

assess the adequacy of his respirations

Upon arriving at the residence of a patient with a possible cardiac problem, it is MOST important to:

assess the scene for potential hazards.

You are dispatched to a residence for a 56 year old man with altered mental status. Upon arrival at the scene, the patients wife tells you that he complained of chest pain the day before, but would not allow her to call EMS. The patient is semiconscious; has rapid, shallow respirations; and has a thready pulse. You should:

begin ventilatory assistance.

A 40 year old man is in cardiac arrest. Your partner is performing CPR. You are attaching the AED when the patients wife tells you that he has an AICD. The AED advises that a shock is indicated. What should you do?

deliver shock followed by immediate resumption of CPR

Which of the following signs is commonly observed in patients with right-sided heart failure?

dependent edema

A 66 year old woman presents with a stabbing pain in the middle of her chest that radiates to her back. She tells you that the pain suddenly began about 30 minutes ago and has been severe since the onset. She has a history of hypertension, but admits to being noncompliant with her antihypertensive medications. When you assess her, you find that her bp is significantly higher in her left arm than it is her right arm. What are her sign and symptom MOST indicative of?

dissecting aortic aneurysm

The left ventricle has the thickest walls because it

pumps blood into the aorta and systemic circulation

A dissecting aortic aneurysm occurs when:

the inner layers of the aorta become seperated

Nitroglycerin is contraindicated in patients:

who have experienced a head injury