Cardiac Dysrhythmias Part 2 Test
Questions with 100% Complete Solutions,
Graded to Pass
Describe treatment of dysrhythmias - cORRECT sOLUTION To determine if
treatment is necessary, assess the patient. Then ask the following questions:
Is he or she experiencing signs and symptoms of decreased cardiac output?
Is the dysrhythmia potentially life threatening?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, the patient will need to treatment
for the dysrhythmia.
***WE WILL DISCUSS TREATMENTS OF DYSRHYTHMIAS BASED UPON
CURRENT ACLS TREATMENT ALGORITHMS
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF DECREASED CARDIAC OUTPUT
INCLUDE CHEST PAIN, DYSPNEA, DECREASED LEVEL OF
CONSCIOUSNESS, HYPOTENSION, HEART FAILURE
IF PATIENT IS NOT SHOWING SIGNS OF DECREASED CO THEN SEARCH
FOR CONTRIBUTING CAUSES AND SEEK EXPERT CONSULTATION
POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DYSRHYTHMIAS: SECOND DEGREE
AV BLOCK TYPE II, COMPLETE HEART BLOCK, VENTRICULAR
TACHYCARDIA, VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION
What are the Hs and Ts (potential causes of rhythm issues)? - cORRECT
sOLUTION Hypovolemia
Hydrogen ions (acidosis)
Hyper/hypokalemia
Hypoxia
,Hypothermia
Hypervagal
Hypoglycemia
Malignant Hyperthermia
Tension pneumothorax
Tamponade (cardiac)
Toxins
Thrombosis (cardiac)
Thrombosis/embolus (pulmonary)
Trauma
QT prolongation
Pulmonary hypertension
What categories can dysrhythmias be divided into for determining treatment? -
cORRECT sOLUTION Bradycardias
Tachycardias
Pulseless arrest
**AS A GENERAL RULE, IF A DYSRHYTHMIA IS CAUSING A DROP IN
CARDIAC OUTPUT AND IT IS TOO FAST, YOU SLOW IT DOWN; IF IT IS
TOO SLOW, YOU SPEED IT UP.
IF ECTOPICS ARE PRESENT, YOU SUPPRESS THEM BY DECREASING
THE IRRITABILITY.
IF CARDIAC ARREST IS PRESENT, YOU GENERATE A MORE VIABLE
RHYTHM.
, What are the steps for treatment of dysrhythmias in general? - cORRECT
sOLUTION Identify and treat underlying cause (might need to treat emergently if
the patient has manifestations of decreased cardiac output)
Maintain airway
Give O2
IV access
12 Lead ECG (but should not delay treatment)
How do you treat bradycardia dysrhythmias? - cORRECT sOLUTION If a patient
is experiencing altered mental status, chest pain, dyspnea, lightheadedness,
hypotension, or ventricular ectopy, treatment should be instituted:
Give O2; give fluids (to normalize BP)
Atropine 0.5 mg IV (drug of choice) (maximum dose 3 mg) (while awaiting
pacemaker)
Transcutaneous pacing (if available)
Prepare for transvenous pacing
Dopamine (2-10 mcg/kg/min), or Epinephrine (0.05-0.1 mcg/kg/min) (if a
transcutaneous pacemaker is unavailable and patient not responsive to atropine)
**THE TREATMENT OF BRADYCARDIAS DEPENDS UPON THE
PATIENT'S ABILITY TO TOLERATE THE DYSRHYTHMIA.
CAN ALSO USE TRANSVENOUS TEMPORARY PACEMAKING
Vasoactive drips=work on the blood vessels- can get necrotic fingers and toes
(dopamine and epinephrine)
Questions with 100% Complete Solutions,
Graded to Pass
Describe treatment of dysrhythmias - cORRECT sOLUTION To determine if
treatment is necessary, assess the patient. Then ask the following questions:
Is he or she experiencing signs and symptoms of decreased cardiac output?
Is the dysrhythmia potentially life threatening?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, the patient will need to treatment
for the dysrhythmia.
***WE WILL DISCUSS TREATMENTS OF DYSRHYTHMIAS BASED UPON
CURRENT ACLS TREATMENT ALGORITHMS
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF DECREASED CARDIAC OUTPUT
INCLUDE CHEST PAIN, DYSPNEA, DECREASED LEVEL OF
CONSCIOUSNESS, HYPOTENSION, HEART FAILURE
IF PATIENT IS NOT SHOWING SIGNS OF DECREASED CO THEN SEARCH
FOR CONTRIBUTING CAUSES AND SEEK EXPERT CONSULTATION
POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DYSRHYTHMIAS: SECOND DEGREE
AV BLOCK TYPE II, COMPLETE HEART BLOCK, VENTRICULAR
TACHYCARDIA, VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION
What are the Hs and Ts (potential causes of rhythm issues)? - cORRECT
sOLUTION Hypovolemia
Hydrogen ions (acidosis)
Hyper/hypokalemia
Hypoxia
,Hypothermia
Hypervagal
Hypoglycemia
Malignant Hyperthermia
Tension pneumothorax
Tamponade (cardiac)
Toxins
Thrombosis (cardiac)
Thrombosis/embolus (pulmonary)
Trauma
QT prolongation
Pulmonary hypertension
What categories can dysrhythmias be divided into for determining treatment? -
cORRECT sOLUTION Bradycardias
Tachycardias
Pulseless arrest
**AS A GENERAL RULE, IF A DYSRHYTHMIA IS CAUSING A DROP IN
CARDIAC OUTPUT AND IT IS TOO FAST, YOU SLOW IT DOWN; IF IT IS
TOO SLOW, YOU SPEED IT UP.
IF ECTOPICS ARE PRESENT, YOU SUPPRESS THEM BY DECREASING
THE IRRITABILITY.
IF CARDIAC ARREST IS PRESENT, YOU GENERATE A MORE VIABLE
RHYTHM.
, What are the steps for treatment of dysrhythmias in general? - cORRECT
sOLUTION Identify and treat underlying cause (might need to treat emergently if
the patient has manifestations of decreased cardiac output)
Maintain airway
Give O2
IV access
12 Lead ECG (but should not delay treatment)
How do you treat bradycardia dysrhythmias? - cORRECT sOLUTION If a patient
is experiencing altered mental status, chest pain, dyspnea, lightheadedness,
hypotension, or ventricular ectopy, treatment should be instituted:
Give O2; give fluids (to normalize BP)
Atropine 0.5 mg IV (drug of choice) (maximum dose 3 mg) (while awaiting
pacemaker)
Transcutaneous pacing (if available)
Prepare for transvenous pacing
Dopamine (2-10 mcg/kg/min), or Epinephrine (0.05-0.1 mcg/kg/min) (if a
transcutaneous pacemaker is unavailable and patient not responsive to atropine)
**THE TREATMENT OF BRADYCARDIAS DEPENDS UPON THE
PATIENT'S ABILITY TO TOLERATE THE DYSRHYTHMIA.
CAN ALSO USE TRANSVENOUS TEMPORARY PACEMAKING
Vasoactive drips=work on the blood vessels- can get necrotic fingers and toes
(dopamine and epinephrine)
