ALS/ACLS – Red Cross Final Exam [2025
Edition] | Complete Test Pack with Clinical
Scenarios, Practice Questions, Verified
Answers & Step-by-Step
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency department. The
healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins to care for the patient, including
initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse oximetry, supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The
team reviews the patient's ECG rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent
would the team most likely administer?
Atropine 1 mg every 3 to 5 minutes
A patient with bradycardia and signs of hemodynamic compromise does not respond to atropine.
Which interventions could the healthcare provider use next?
Epinephrine or dopamine infusion
Transcutaneous pacing
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac arrest in a patient
brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a 12-lead ECG would confirm this
suspicion?
Wide-complex ventricular rhythm and tall, peaked T waves
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable and has a
heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on the findings of the secondary
assessment, which statement(s) by the patient would the team interpret as a possible contributing
cause?
1. "I've had a terrible cold with a horrible cough and today I developed a fever."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient’s ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm, indicating a narrow-
complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is not showing signs of hemodynamic
compromise. Which intervention would be initiated first if it does not delay other interventions?
Vagal maneuvers
, A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the patient has ventricular
tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals that the corrected QT interval is greater than
0.46 seconds. Which treatment would be appropriate at this time?
Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following rhythm. Which
feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating atrial fibrillation?
Absence of discrete P waves and presence of irregularly irregular QRS complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have a pulse. The
cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets this as which condition?
Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the cardiac arrest, the
patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be causing the patient's cardiac arrest?
Hyperkalemia
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in cardiac arrest using a
biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the energy dose according to the
manufacturer's recommendations, which is usually:
120 to 200 joules
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications intravenously to a
patient in cardiac arrest. The team member follows each medication administration with a bolus
of fluid. How much would the team member give?
10 to 20 mL
A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in full cardiac arrest. The
cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. Interpretation of this rhythm would suggest which
of the following as a possible precipitating factor?
Electrocution
Cardiac monitoring of a patient in cardiac arrest reveals ventricular fibrillation. In addition to
high quality CPR, what intervention should be a priority for the team?
Administer 1 shock.
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,
Edition] | Complete Test Pack with Clinical
Scenarios, Practice Questions, Verified
Answers & Step-by-Step
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency department. The
healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins to care for the patient, including
initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse oximetry, supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The
team reviews the patient's ECG rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent
would the team most likely administer?
Atropine 1 mg every 3 to 5 minutes
A patient with bradycardia and signs of hemodynamic compromise does not respond to atropine.
Which interventions could the healthcare provider use next?
Epinephrine or dopamine infusion
Transcutaneous pacing
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac arrest in a patient
brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a 12-lead ECG would confirm this
suspicion?
Wide-complex ventricular rhythm and tall, peaked T waves
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable and has a
heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on the findings of the secondary
assessment, which statement(s) by the patient would the team interpret as a possible contributing
cause?
1. "I've had a terrible cold with a horrible cough and today I developed a fever."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient’s ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm, indicating a narrow-
complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is not showing signs of hemodynamic
compromise. Which intervention would be initiated first if it does not delay other interventions?
Vagal maneuvers
, A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the patient has ventricular
tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals that the corrected QT interval is greater than
0.46 seconds. Which treatment would be appropriate at this time?
Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following rhythm. Which
feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating atrial fibrillation?
Absence of discrete P waves and presence of irregularly irregular QRS complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have a pulse. The
cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets this as which condition?
Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the cardiac arrest, the
patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be causing the patient's cardiac arrest?
Hyperkalemia
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in cardiac arrest using a
biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the energy dose according to the
manufacturer's recommendations, which is usually:
120 to 200 joules
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications intravenously to a
patient in cardiac arrest. The team member follows each medication administration with a bolus
of fluid. How much would the team member give?
10 to 20 mL
A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in full cardiac arrest. The
cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. Interpretation of this rhythm would suggest which
of the following as a possible precipitating factor?
Electrocution
Cardiac monitoring of a patient in cardiac arrest reveals ventricular fibrillation. In addition to
high quality CPR, what intervention should be a priority for the team?
Administer 1 shock.
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,
