AIR METHODS CRITICAL CARE CORE MAIN EXAM 2026
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔calculating CCF code - ✔✔Actual Chest compression time / Total code time
✔✔ACLS Magnesium Drug facts - ✔✔Na/K pump agonist
Suppression on L- and T-type calcium channels and suppression of ventricular after-
depolarizations
✔✔ACLS Torsades with long QT interval providers should... - ✔✔Magnesium Sulfate 1-
2 g IV diluted in 10 mL
Bolus over 20 minutes
✔✔ACLS Septic Shock Tx - ✔✔ABX! Don't Delay
30 mL/Kg crystalloid LR
✔✔septic shock and Central VENOUS ScVO2 oxygen extraction
LOW < 65% is bad. - ✔✔Drawn from a CVC. Surrogate to Svo2.
Normal oxygen extraction is 25-30% corresponding to a ScvO2 >65%
< 65% = Impaired tissue oxygenation
>80% = High PaO2; or suspect: — Cytotoxic dysoxia (e.g. cyanide poisoning,
mitochrondial disease, severe sepsis) — Microcirculatory shunting (e.g. severe sepsis,
liver failure, hyperthyroidism) — Left to right shunts
✔✔Adult Dopamine IV Infusion Dose - ✔✔-Correct hypovolemia first
-5-20 mcg/ kg / min
-don't use for cardiogenic shock with CHF
-Don't mix with Bicarb
✔✔Adult Norepinephrine (levophed) Infusion Dose - ✔✔0.1- 2 mcg /kg/ min
✔✔Adult Lidocaine - ✔✔VF/VT
1.5mg/kg IVP
Repeat 3-5 min
Max 3mg/kg (2 doses)
GTT: 20 to 50 mcg/kg/minute.
1 to 4 mg/minute
✔✔Adult Vassopressin Gtt dose - ✔✔from 0.01 to 0.05 units/min
✔✔Most common cause of PEA- - ✔✔hypovolemia and Hypoxia
✔✔Arrest r/t Massive Saddle PE - ✔✔Give Fibrinolytics
, ✔✔Arrest r/t Cardiac tamponade... - ✔✔Give volume
-decompress
✔✔tension pneumothorax - ✔✔TX with needle decompression and chest tube insertion
✔✔Fibrinolytics - ✔✔Alteplase, reteplase and tenecteplase
Administer to patients with STEMI > 2 mm in leads V2 and V3
CI (Absolute)
- Active bleeding or bleeding diathesis
- Any prior intracranial hemorrhage
- Recent intracranial or intraspina surgery or trauma (last 3 months)
- Intracranial neoplasm, arteriovenous malformation, or aneurysm
- Arotic dissection
- Sever uncontrolled hypertension
- Ischemic stroke within past 3 months, except acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hrs.
Relative
- Pregnancy
- Active peptic ulcer
- Current use of anticoagulant
SE
- Bleeding, hypotension, intracranial hemorrhage, fever
NOTE
* Door-to-needle time should be < 30 mins (for fibrinolytcis)
✔✔ACS Heparin - ✔✔4000 unit bolus (0.8 ml
CI: GI bleeds, SAH, Already taking coumadin, plavix, other d
✔✔ACS Metoprolol (Lopressor) - ✔✔Indications: MI, Tachy, hypertensive
Dose : 5mg slow IV push at 5 minute intervals for a max of 15 mg. long acting,
CI: hypotensive, brady
✔✔A lactate level of > ___ is a poor prognostic sign - ✔✔Lactate > 4
✔✔Definition of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock - ✔✔Sepsis: SIRS + Infection
Septic Shock: Severe Sepsis + SBP <90, MAP < 65, or Lactate > 4 after Fluids.
(30ml/kg)
✔✔SIRS Criteria (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) - ✔✔>= 2 of the
following:
>38.3 (100.9F) or < 36 (96.8F)
Heart Rate > 90 bpm
-RR > 20 or PaCO2 < 32 (hyperventilating)
(normal 35-45)
-WBC > 12,000 or < 4,000
or >10% bands
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔calculating CCF code - ✔✔Actual Chest compression time / Total code time
✔✔ACLS Magnesium Drug facts - ✔✔Na/K pump agonist
Suppression on L- and T-type calcium channels and suppression of ventricular after-
depolarizations
✔✔ACLS Torsades with long QT interval providers should... - ✔✔Magnesium Sulfate 1-
2 g IV diluted in 10 mL
Bolus over 20 minutes
✔✔ACLS Septic Shock Tx - ✔✔ABX! Don't Delay
30 mL/Kg crystalloid LR
✔✔septic shock and Central VENOUS ScVO2 oxygen extraction
LOW < 65% is bad. - ✔✔Drawn from a CVC. Surrogate to Svo2.
Normal oxygen extraction is 25-30% corresponding to a ScvO2 >65%
< 65% = Impaired tissue oxygenation
>80% = High PaO2; or suspect: — Cytotoxic dysoxia (e.g. cyanide poisoning,
mitochrondial disease, severe sepsis) — Microcirculatory shunting (e.g. severe sepsis,
liver failure, hyperthyroidism) — Left to right shunts
✔✔Adult Dopamine IV Infusion Dose - ✔✔-Correct hypovolemia first
-5-20 mcg/ kg / min
-don't use for cardiogenic shock with CHF
-Don't mix with Bicarb
✔✔Adult Norepinephrine (levophed) Infusion Dose - ✔✔0.1- 2 mcg /kg/ min
✔✔Adult Lidocaine - ✔✔VF/VT
1.5mg/kg IVP
Repeat 3-5 min
Max 3mg/kg (2 doses)
GTT: 20 to 50 mcg/kg/minute.
1 to 4 mg/minute
✔✔Adult Vassopressin Gtt dose - ✔✔from 0.01 to 0.05 units/min
✔✔Most common cause of PEA- - ✔✔hypovolemia and Hypoxia
✔✔Arrest r/t Massive Saddle PE - ✔✔Give Fibrinolytics
, ✔✔Arrest r/t Cardiac tamponade... - ✔✔Give volume
-decompress
✔✔tension pneumothorax - ✔✔TX with needle decompression and chest tube insertion
✔✔Fibrinolytics - ✔✔Alteplase, reteplase and tenecteplase
Administer to patients with STEMI > 2 mm in leads V2 and V3
CI (Absolute)
- Active bleeding or bleeding diathesis
- Any prior intracranial hemorrhage
- Recent intracranial or intraspina surgery or trauma (last 3 months)
- Intracranial neoplasm, arteriovenous malformation, or aneurysm
- Arotic dissection
- Sever uncontrolled hypertension
- Ischemic stroke within past 3 months, except acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hrs.
Relative
- Pregnancy
- Active peptic ulcer
- Current use of anticoagulant
SE
- Bleeding, hypotension, intracranial hemorrhage, fever
NOTE
* Door-to-needle time should be < 30 mins (for fibrinolytcis)
✔✔ACS Heparin - ✔✔4000 unit bolus (0.8 ml
CI: GI bleeds, SAH, Already taking coumadin, plavix, other d
✔✔ACS Metoprolol (Lopressor) - ✔✔Indications: MI, Tachy, hypertensive
Dose : 5mg slow IV push at 5 minute intervals for a max of 15 mg. long acting,
CI: hypotensive, brady
✔✔A lactate level of > ___ is a poor prognostic sign - ✔✔Lactate > 4
✔✔Definition of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock - ✔✔Sepsis: SIRS + Infection
Septic Shock: Severe Sepsis + SBP <90, MAP < 65, or Lactate > 4 after Fluids.
(30ml/kg)
✔✔SIRS Criteria (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) - ✔✔>= 2 of the
following:
>38.3 (100.9F) or < 36 (96.8F)
Heart Rate > 90 bpm
-RR > 20 or PaCO2 < 32 (hyperventilating)
(normal 35-45)
-WBC > 12,000 or < 4,000
or >10% bands
