American Red Cross-ACLS-Final 2026
Practice Exam Questions + Rationales,
A+ Ready
A patient is in cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows
asystole. In addition to providing continuous high-quality CPR,
what is the other priority intervention for this patient? -
Correct Answers ✅Administering epinephrine as early as
possible
A patient has experienced return of spontaneous circulation
(ROSC) after cardiac arrest. The healthcare team is
conducting a secondary assessment to determine the
possible cause of the patient's cardiac arrest. Before the
arrest, the patient exhibited jugular venous distension,
cyanosis, apnea and hyperresonance on percussion. The
patient was also difficult to ventilate during the response. The
team would most likely suspect which condition as the cause?
- Correct Answers ✅Tension Pneumothorax
A patient with suspected stroke arrives at the emergency
department. The patient is diagnosed with acute ischemic
stroke and is a candidate for fibrinolytic therapy. To achieve
the best outcomes, this therapy should be initiated within
what time frame? - Correct Answers ✅Within 1 hour of
patient's arrival.
A patient in the telemetry unit is receiving continuous cardiac
monitoring. The patient has a history of myocardial infarction.
The patient's ECG rhythm strip is shown in the following
figure. The provider interprets this strip as indicating which
arrhythmia? - Correct Answers ✅Third-degree AV block
, American Red Cross-ACLS-Final 2026
Practice Exam Questions + Rationales,
A+ Ready
A 28-year-old pregnant patient who resides in transitional
housing presents to the emergency department with
complaints of feeling feverish and very faint. The patient tells
the emergency nurse that she does not know when she
became pregnant. Upon palpation, the fundus is not at or
above the umbilicus. The patient's condition quickly
deteriorates and she goes into cardiac arrest. If available and
able to be used without impeding or delaying the
resuscitation effort, what diagnostic tool could be used to
guide decision-making in the care of this patient? - Correct
Answers ✅Point-of-care ultrasound
Cardiac monitoring indicates that a patient has a ventricular
tachyarrhythmia. The patient has a pulse and is not showing
any signs of hemodynamic compromise. A 12-lead ECG
reveals an irregular rhythm with QRS complexes greater than
0.12 second in duration. Which action would be appropriate
at this time? - Correct Answers ✅Consider an
antiarrhythmic medication
A responsive patient is choking. What method should the
provider use first to clear the obstructed airway? - Correct
Answers ✅Back blows
What is the priority intervention for a patient with a narrow-
complex tachycardia (160 bpm) and a blood pressure of
Practice Exam Questions + Rationales,
A+ Ready
A patient is in cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows
asystole. In addition to providing continuous high-quality CPR,
what is the other priority intervention for this patient? -
Correct Answers ✅Administering epinephrine as early as
possible
A patient has experienced return of spontaneous circulation
(ROSC) after cardiac arrest. The healthcare team is
conducting a secondary assessment to determine the
possible cause of the patient's cardiac arrest. Before the
arrest, the patient exhibited jugular venous distension,
cyanosis, apnea and hyperresonance on percussion. The
patient was also difficult to ventilate during the response. The
team would most likely suspect which condition as the cause?
- Correct Answers ✅Tension Pneumothorax
A patient with suspected stroke arrives at the emergency
department. The patient is diagnosed with acute ischemic
stroke and is a candidate for fibrinolytic therapy. To achieve
the best outcomes, this therapy should be initiated within
what time frame? - Correct Answers ✅Within 1 hour of
patient's arrival.
A patient in the telemetry unit is receiving continuous cardiac
monitoring. The patient has a history of myocardial infarction.
The patient's ECG rhythm strip is shown in the following
figure. The provider interprets this strip as indicating which
arrhythmia? - Correct Answers ✅Third-degree AV block
, American Red Cross-ACLS-Final 2026
Practice Exam Questions + Rationales,
A+ Ready
A 28-year-old pregnant patient who resides in transitional
housing presents to the emergency department with
complaints of feeling feverish and very faint. The patient tells
the emergency nurse that she does not know when she
became pregnant. Upon palpation, the fundus is not at or
above the umbilicus. The patient's condition quickly
deteriorates and she goes into cardiac arrest. If available and
able to be used without impeding or delaying the
resuscitation effort, what diagnostic tool could be used to
guide decision-making in the care of this patient? - Correct
Answers ✅Point-of-care ultrasound
Cardiac monitoring indicates that a patient has a ventricular
tachyarrhythmia. The patient has a pulse and is not showing
any signs of hemodynamic compromise. A 12-lead ECG
reveals an irregular rhythm with QRS complexes greater than
0.12 second in duration. Which action would be appropriate
at this time? - Correct Answers ✅Consider an
antiarrhythmic medication
A responsive patient is choking. What method should the
provider use first to clear the obstructed airway? - Correct
Answers ✅Back blows
What is the priority intervention for a patient with a narrow-
complex tachycardia (160 bpm) and a blood pressure of
