CEN Practice Test questions with
answers
Preload refers to:
a. The volume of blood entering the left side of the heart
b. The volume of blood entering the right side of the
heart
c. The pressure in the venous system that the heart must
overcome to pump the blood
d. The pressure in the arterial system that the heart must
overcome to pump the blood - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b.
The volume of blood entering the right side of the heart
Preload is the volume of blood that enters the right side
of the heart. This volume stretches the fibers in the heart
prior to contraction. Preload is commonly measured as
atrial pressure.
The patient is brought to the ED with an anterior ST-
elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). You are assessing
him for possible administration of fibrinolytics. An
absolute contraindication for this treatment is:
,a. The patient's pain is not relieved by medications.
b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
c. The patient has received aspirin in the last 2 hours.
d. The patient had a previous MI 6 years ago. - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
Fibrinolytic therapy is generally NOT recommended for
patients whose symptoms began more than 12 hours
before arrival. Fibrinolytics should not be given if the
onset of symptoms was more than 24 hours before arrival
UNLESS a posterior MI is diagnosed. In this case, the MI
was anterior.
The team is performing CPR on a patient. The rhythm that
will respond to an electrical shock is:
a. Asystole
b. PEA
c. Ventricular fibrillation
d. SVT - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔c. Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular
tachycardia are the two rhythms that are considered to
be "shockable" cardiac arrest rhythms. Although asystole
,and PEA are cardiac arrest rhythms, they will not respond
to electrical shock.
When suctioning during a cardiac arrest, suctioning
should be limited to which of the following?
a. Less than 5 seconds
b. Less than 10 seconds
c. Less than 20 seconds
d. Less than 30 seconds - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b. Less
than 10 seconds
According to the 2010 BLS and ACLS guidelines,
suctioning for longer than 10 seconds may result in
pulling too much oxygen out of the airways resulting in
hypoxemia.
Possible causes of cardiac arrest include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Hypervolemia
b. Hypoxia
c. Hypokalemia
, d. Tension Pneumothorax - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔a.
Hypervolemia
Common causes of cardiac arrest are known as the H's
and T's and include: hypovolemia (NOT hypervolemia),
hypoxia, hydrogen ion excess (acidosis), hypo or
hyperkalemia, hypothermia, tension pneumothorax,
tamponade, toxins, and thrombosis (pulmonary or
coronary). Correction of these causes can often reverse a
cardiac arrest.
You are providing ventilations using a Bag-mask device.
Suddenly, you do not see the patient's chest rise with the
ventilation. You reposition the patient to ensure an open
airway. When you attempt to ventilate, you do not see his
chest rise. The most likely cause of this is:
a. The bag-mask device is faulty
b. Airway obstruction
c. The patient has suffered an MI
d. Cardiac tamponade - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b. Airway
obstruction
The most likely cause of the failure of the chest to rise
during ventilations is an airway obstruction. Although a
answers
Preload refers to:
a. The volume of blood entering the left side of the heart
b. The volume of blood entering the right side of the
heart
c. The pressure in the venous system that the heart must
overcome to pump the blood
d. The pressure in the arterial system that the heart must
overcome to pump the blood - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b.
The volume of blood entering the right side of the heart
Preload is the volume of blood that enters the right side
of the heart. This volume stretches the fibers in the heart
prior to contraction. Preload is commonly measured as
atrial pressure.
The patient is brought to the ED with an anterior ST-
elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). You are assessing
him for possible administration of fibrinolytics. An
absolute contraindication for this treatment is:
,a. The patient's pain is not relieved by medications.
b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
c. The patient has received aspirin in the last 2 hours.
d. The patient had a previous MI 6 years ago. - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
Fibrinolytic therapy is generally NOT recommended for
patients whose symptoms began more than 12 hours
before arrival. Fibrinolytics should not be given if the
onset of symptoms was more than 24 hours before arrival
UNLESS a posterior MI is diagnosed. In this case, the MI
was anterior.
The team is performing CPR on a patient. The rhythm that
will respond to an electrical shock is:
a. Asystole
b. PEA
c. Ventricular fibrillation
d. SVT - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔c. Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular
tachycardia are the two rhythms that are considered to
be "shockable" cardiac arrest rhythms. Although asystole
,and PEA are cardiac arrest rhythms, they will not respond
to electrical shock.
When suctioning during a cardiac arrest, suctioning
should be limited to which of the following?
a. Less than 5 seconds
b. Less than 10 seconds
c. Less than 20 seconds
d. Less than 30 seconds - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b. Less
than 10 seconds
According to the 2010 BLS and ACLS guidelines,
suctioning for longer than 10 seconds may result in
pulling too much oxygen out of the airways resulting in
hypoxemia.
Possible causes of cardiac arrest include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Hypervolemia
b. Hypoxia
c. Hypokalemia
, d. Tension Pneumothorax - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔a.
Hypervolemia
Common causes of cardiac arrest are known as the H's
and T's and include: hypovolemia (NOT hypervolemia),
hypoxia, hydrogen ion excess (acidosis), hypo or
hyperkalemia, hypothermia, tension pneumothorax,
tamponade, toxins, and thrombosis (pulmonary or
coronary). Correction of these causes can often reverse a
cardiac arrest.
You are providing ventilations using a Bag-mask device.
Suddenly, you do not see the patient's chest rise with the
ventilation. You reposition the patient to ensure an open
airway. When you attempt to ventilate, you do not see his
chest rise. The most likely cause of this is:
a. The bag-mask device is faulty
b. Airway obstruction
c. The patient has suffered an MI
d. Cardiac tamponade - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔b. Airway
obstruction
The most likely cause of the failure of the chest to rise
during ventilations is an airway obstruction. Although a
