NREMT Cardiology Exam (New 2024/ 2025
Update) Questions and Verified Answers
with Rationales| 100% Correct| A Grade
QUESTION
You arrive at the
... [Show More] scene of a 56-year-old man who collapsed. The patient's wife tells you that he
suddenly grabbed his chest and then passed out. Your assessment reveals that he is apneic and
pulseless. As your partner begins one-rescuer CPR, you should:
A: obtain a SAMPLE history.
B: prepare the AED for use.
C: insert an airway adjunct.
D: notify medical control.
Answer:
B; Immediate treatment for a patient in cardiac arrest involves performing CPR and applying the
AED as soon as possible. After applying the AED pads to the patient's chest (around your
partner's compressing hands), analyze his cardiac rhythm, deliver a shock if indicated, and
immediately resume CPR (starting with chest compressions). Management of the airway,
including insertion of an airway adjunct, should occur during the 2-minute period of CPR in
between cardiac rhythm analysis and defibrillation. While CPR is in progress, obtain as much of
the patient's medical history from his wife as possible, and notify medical control when it is
practical (ie, you have more help at the scene).
QUESTION
How can you help maximize cardiac output during CPR?
A: Allow the chest to fully recoil in between compressions
B: Deliver rescue breaths until the chest expands widely
C: Ventilate the patient through an advanced airway device
D: Compress the chest at a rate of no more than 100/min
Answer:
A; Cardiac output is the amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle per minute. Bearing in
mind that even the best performed CPR produces only between 25% and 30% of what the
patient's cardiac output would otherwise be, there are several actions that you must take to help
maximize this. Allowing the chest to fully recoil in between compressions will help draw blood
back to the heart; if more blood returns to the heart, more blood can be pumped from the heart
with chest compressions. Delivering each rescue breath over a period of 1 second, just enough to
produce visible chest rise, will also help maximize cardiac output. If ventilations are given to fast
or too forcefully, intrathoracic pressure will increase, resulting in a decrease in the amount of
blood that returns to the heart; as a result, cardiac output will decrease. Ventilations are delivered
no differently if an advanced airway device (ie, ET tube, multilumen airway, supraglottic airway)
has been inserted. Deliver chest compressions at a rate of at least 100 per minute to a depth of at
least 2" (at least one third the depth of the chest in infants and children).
QUESTION
The quickest way to reduce cardiac ischemia in a patient experiencing an acute coronary
syndrome is to:
A: sit or lay the patient down.
B: keep the patient warm.
C: elevate the patient's legs.
D: give supplemental oxygen.
Answer:
A; Ischemia is defined as a relative lack of oxygen. In other words, relative to the body's demand
for oxygen, its supply is reduced. The quickest way to reduce ischemia in a patient with an acute
coronary syndrome, or ACS (eg, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction) is to reduce the
heart's demand for oxygen; simply having the patient cease any exertion and placing him or her
in a sitting or lying position will quickly and effectively accomplish this. Although supplemental
oxygen increases the oxygen content of the blood and is an important treatment for any patient
with ACS, it does not reduce the body's demand for oxygen.
QUESTION
While assessing a man who is complaining of chest pain, he suddenly becomes unresponsive.
You should:
A: assess for breathing.
B: apply the AED.
C: open the airway.
D: assess for a pulse.
Answer:
A; Whether a patient is found unresponsive or becomes unresponsive in your presence, you
should immediately assess his or her breathing. Quickly look at the chest for visible rise. If the
patient is not breathing (or only has agonal gasps), you should assess for a pulse. If the patient
has a pulse, open the airway and begin rescue breathing. If the patient does not have a pulse,
begin CPR (starting with chest compressions) and apply the AED as soon as possible.
QUESTION
Which of the following is the BEST indicator of cardiac output?
A: Condition and color of the skin
B: Quality of the respirations
C: Pulse rate and quality
D: Systolic blood pressure
Answer:
C; Cardiac output is the amount of blood ejected from the ventricles each minute. To best obtain
an indication of cardiac output, you should assess the rate and quality of the pulse. A rapid,
bounding pulse indicates increased cardiac output, whereas a weak or "thready" pulse indicates a
decreased cardiac output. Changes in pulse quality (strength) will likely be detected before a
drop in systolic blood pressure.
QUESTION
A 50-year-old man's implanted defibrillator has fired twice within the last hour. He is conscious
and alert and complains of a "sore chest." Further assessment reveals that his chest pain is
reproducible to palpation and is localized to the area of his implanted defibrillator. In addition to
supplemental oxygen, treatment for him should include:
A: up to three doses of nitroglycerin and prompt transport.
B: application of the AED and transport to the hospital.
C: deactivating his defibrillator by running a magnet over it.
D: prompt transport with continuous monitoring en route.
Answer:
D; Patients who are high risk for lethal cardiac dysrhythmias (ie, V-Fib, V-Tach) may have an
automated implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (AI [Show Less]