ACLS Flashcards
Average survival rate for IHCA (in hospital cardiac arrest)
24%
Causes for more than half IHCAs
Respiratory failure or hypovolemic shock
Most common cause of out of hospital cardiac arrest
Ischemia coronary artery disease
Possible first indicators of cardiac arrest in adult patients
Generalized seizures
ROSC occurs when an arrested patient comes out of cardiac arrest and displays one of the following
- Pulse & adequate blood pressure
- Abrupt increase in EtCO2 (>40 mmHg)
- Spontaneous arterial blood pressure waves with intra-arterial monitoring
When do most deaths occur after ROSC?
Within 24 hours
What should you do when you notice agonal breathing?
Start CPR
Do agonal breaths provide adequate oxygenation?
No
Slow, complex rhythms immediately preceding asystole
Agonal rhythms
Normal capillary refill time
<2 seconds
Prolonged capillary refill time
> 5 seconds
Common causes of prolonged capillary refill time
- Dehydration
- Shock
- Hypothermia
The proportion of time spent performing chest compressions in a cardiac arrest
Chest compression fraction
Ideal chest compression fraction
at least 60% and ideally occupy >80% of resuscitation attempt
1st 28 days of life
Neonate
1 month-1 year of age
Infant
1 year to onset of puberty
Child
Puberty or older
Adult
Person who does not have specialized or professional knowledge of a subject
Lay person or lay provider
Description of respiratory distress
- Increased respiratory rate and effort, but able to move air
- Potential abnormal airway sounds and pallor
- Tachycardia and anxiety
- Pt improves with initial therapy
Description of respiratory failure
- Labored breathing accompanied by signs of shock (cyanosis, lethargy, bradycardia)
- Requires intervention/assistance
- May not respond to initial breathing treatments & interventions
Definition of stable
- Normal BP
- Signs of good perfusion
- Awake/alert
Definition of unstable
- Hypotension
- Signs of poor perfusion
- Altered or depressed consciousness, or the pt is sick
Process of deciding which patients should be treated first, where they should go based on how sick or seriously injured they are
Triage!!!!
Teams roles (6)
- Team leader
- Compressor (1st priority)
- AED/monitor/defibrillator (2nd priority)
- Airway (3rd priority)
- IV/IO/meds
- Timer/recorder
Purpose of code team
Respond AFTER an arrest has occured
Purpose of rapid response team
Identify and treat early clinical deterioration BEFORE the arrest
Team dynamics (8)
- Have clear roles
- Know your limits
- Have constructive interference
- Share knowledge
- Summarize and reevaluate
- Have closed loop communication
- Give clear messages
- Have mutual respect
Systems of care
- Community- lay providers
- Out of hospital- EMS
- In hospital - Code teams, rapid response, critical care, stroke
Description of OHCA
- Lay providers witness the arrest and activate EMS
- CPR is started
- Defibrillation is performed as soon as an AED is available
- EMS arrives, resuscitates and transports
- ACLS and post arrest care
IHCA description
- Hospital providers monitor and prevent arrest
- If an arrest is witnessed, EMS is activated
- CPR is started
- Defib is performed as soon as an AED is available
- ACLS and post arrest care
ABCDEs of ACLS
Airway Breathing Circulation Disability Exposure
Airway suction pressure
-80-120 mmHg
Suction attempts
- No more than 10 seconds
- Limited to less than 10 at a time
- Follow attempts with a short period of 100% O2 administration
- Squirt 1-2 ml NS before suctioning thick material
Suction catheter appropriate for thin secretions
Soft suction for tracheal
Suction catheter for thick secretions
Rigid suction catheter
How do you open the airway for trauma patients?
With a jaw thrust, unless that does not work, then chin lift
C spine restrictions for trauma patients
Manual spinal motion restriction rather than cervical collars bc cervical collars complicate airway management
Management for severe choking in responsive adults
-Perform the Heimlich maneuver
Management for severe choking in responsive children
Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts below xyphoid process
Management for severe choking in responsive infants
- Place pt prone in one arm and deliver 5 back slaps
- Flip the pt supine in other arm and deliver 5 downward chest thrusts with two fingers
- Continue until obstruction is relieved or pt loses consciousness
Severe choking management in unresponsive patients
Immediately start CPR and look for object in mouth each time you deliver breaths
What do you do after an airway obstruction is relieved?
Place the patient in recovery position
Most important factor to influence survival in drowning
Immediate, high quality CPR
Airway management for foreign body airway obstruction
- The pt needs to stay calm
- Pt should remain spontaneously breathing if possible
- Use mask induction or cautious IV induction with maintenance of spontaneous ventilation
- Anesthetize the pharynx and vocal cords
- Maintenance with propofol-remifentanil based TIVA with maintenance of spontaneous ventilation
- Use of jet ventilation and/or oxygen insufflation through the bronchoscope may help prevent hypoxia
- Steroids can be used
When CPR is not being administered, oxygen should be administered and titrated to an SpO2 of
- 94-99% for all non-ACS cases
2. >90% for ACS syndrome cases
Oxygen administration during CPR
100%
Mouth to mouth breathing in adults
- Pinch nose
- Perform head tilt chin lift
or use pocket mask
Pt’s FiO2 from mouth to mouth ventilation
17% oxygen and 4% CO2
Mouth to mouth in infants/neonates/children
Mouth over victim’s mouth and nose or use peds pocket mask
When is bag mask ventilation used?
With 2 rescuer ventilation
When is mouth to mouth used?
With single rescuer ventilation
Correct hand placement for bag mask according to ACLS test
E-C technique (not C-E)
Provides more effective ventilation and more accurate EtCO2 in cardiac arrest
Intubation
Disadvantages to excessive ventilation
- Creates gastric inflation
- Decreases venous return and cardiac output
- Decreases cerebral blood flow
- Lowers survival
Best way to avoid excessive ventilation
Give a breath when chest rise is observed
Goal tidal volume for adults during arrest
500-600 mL
Preferred method for confirming effective ventilation and correct endotracheal tube placement
Continuous waveform
What color of the colorimetric capnography indicates EtCO2
Yellow
If compressions are required, what breathing rate is suggested
Lower, 10 breaths/min or 1 breath every 6 seconds
-Improves venous return
If compressions are not required, what breathing rate is suggested
10-12 breaths/min or 1 breath every 5-6 seconds
Breathing rate in intubated patients
10 breaths/min
Breathing rate in mask ventilated patients
10-12 breaths/min
Breathing protocol
- R- Check responsiveness
- A-Activate EMS/call
- C-Circulation; check pulse and breathing
- If not breathing, but still a pulse, give 10-12 rescue breaths per minute
Vascular access priority
- IV
- IO if IV not possible
- ETT if IO and IV are not possible
Best IO access
Anterior tibia
How do you administer drugs via the ETT?
- Inject the drug
- Follow w/5-10 ml NS
- Provide 5 rapid positive pressure ventilations
- Stop compressions to prevent regurgitations
ETT epi dose in adults
2-3 times the IV dose
ETT epi dose in children
10x the IV dose
ETT epi dose in neonates
same as IV dose
Problems with lower concentration of epi via ETT
May produce beta 2 effects which can cause hypotension and decrease chances of ROSC
Drugs that can be given via ETT in adults
NAVEL Narcan Atropine Vasopressin Epi Lidocaine
Drugs that can be delivered via ETT in pediatrics
LEAN Lidocaine Epinephrine Atropine Narcan
If there is no pulse, or you are unsure of whether or not there is a pulse after checking for 10 seconds, what should you do?
Begin compressions
If there is no breathing but there is a pulse, what should you do?
Give 10-12 rescue breaths per minute (1 breath every 5-6 seconds, each breath over 1 second)
Where do you look for a pulse in adults and children >1 year old?
Carotid or femoral pulse
Where do you look for a pulse in children <1 year old
Brachial pulse
How long are pulse checks?
Less than 10 seconds
What should you do if you are not sure if a pulse exists?
Do not delay chest compressions
Indications for compressions in adults
If there is no pulse
Indications for compressions in children
If the HR is less than 60 bpm
Indications for compressions in older children
If the HR is less than 40 bpm
Rate for compressions
100-120 per minute
How many compressions does it take before getting good blood flow?
20-25
Chest compression technique
- Use a hard, flat surface
- Press down on lower half of the breastbone
- Push to an adequate depth
- Allow complete chest recoil
- Switch providers every 2 minutes (or 5 cycles)
What is an adequate chest compression depth for adults and adolescents?
2-2.4 inches
What is an adequate chest compression depth for children?
2 inches
What is an adequate chest compression depth for infants?
1/3 to 1/2 depth of chest, or 1.5 inches
High quality CPR Pneumonic
Chest recoil
Push hard, push fast
Rotate rescuers
CPR technique used for adults and adolescents
2 handed technique
CPR technique used for 1-8 year old children
One handed or 2 handed
CPR technique indicated for infants when only one responder is available
2 finger technique
CPR technique indicated for infants when 2 responders are available
Thumb encircling technique
CPR on mask ventilated patients
- Compressions are interrupted when performing breaths
2. CPR is performed in 5 cycles (or over a 2 minute period)
CPR cycle for mask ventilated adults
30 compressions and 2 breaths
CPR cycle for mask ventilated infants with 1 provider
30:2
CPR cycle for mask ventilated infants with 2 providers
15:2 bc kids require faster respiratory rates
CPR cycle for mask ventilated neonates for a respiratory arrest
3:1
CPR cycle for mask ventilated neonates for cardiac arrest
15:2
CPR in intubated patients
- Chest compressions are NOT interrupted during breaths
2. CPR is performed in 2 minute increments (not in cycles)
CPR in intubated adults
Compression rate is 100-120 /min
breathing rate is 10 breaths/min
CPR in intubated kids
100-120 compressions/min
Faster breathing rate
Goals for chest compressions
- EtCO2 of at least 20 mmHg
- Diastolic BP on an arterial line of at least 20 mmHg
- Coronary perfusion pressure of at least 10 mmHg
- Mixed venous SaO2 of at least 30%
Chest compressions take priority over everything except:
- Calling for help
2. Defibrillating when pads are on and ready to go
What are continuous chest compressions?
- Done by EMS
- 3 periods of 200 compressions each
- Passive oxygen insufflation
When is CPR stopped/withheld
- DNR requests
- Threat to the safety of rescuers
- Rigor mortis
- Lividity
CPR protocol when using a defibrillator
- Check the pulse
- Perform CPR until an AED arrives
- Defibrillate ASAP
- Resume 2 minutes of CPR before re-analyzing the rhythm
- Re-analyze rhythm and check the pulse
When are IV/IO meds given with defibrillation?
Immediately before or immediately after shock delivery
4 ways neurologic function is assessed
- Checking the patient’s blood sugar
- Pupil response to light
- AVPU pediatric response scale
- GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale)
What is assessed when examining the pupils with light?
- Pupil size (in mm)
- Equality of pupil size
- Constriction in response to light
PERRL
What is the AVPU scale?
Alert
Responsive to Voice
Responsive to Pain
Unresponsive
What is measured with the GCS?
Eye opening
Verbal
Motor
When is intubation indicated with the GCS?
When it is less than or equal to 8
What happens in the exposure step of ACLS?
The providers does a quick physical exam to assess for signs of trauma, bleeding, burns, unusual markings, or medical alert bracelets
What can an AED do?
- Sense and analyze vfib/vtach
2. Can defibrillate
Limitations of the AED
- Does not produce an ECG rhythm strip/cannot sense other arrhythmias outside of vfib/vtach
- Cannot pace
- Cannot perform synchronized cardioversion
When should a shock be delivered when the AED advises? (time frame)
Within 10 seconds
What is the difference between semi-automated and fully automated AEDs?
Semi-automated only ADVISES a shock, the provider must push the button
Fully automated shocks for you if indicated
AED protocol
- Power on the AED
- Attach the electrode pads
- Clear the victim
- Analyze the rhythm
- Charge and shock if advised
What can a manual defibrillator do?
Same as AED, analyze and shock, but also show ECG rhythm strip, perform synchronized cardioversion, and perform transcutaneous pacing
How long should the entire clear and shock process take with a manual defibrillator?
<5 seconds
Reason most defibrillators are biphasic
They allow the maximum efficiency delivered with the smallest possible amount of energy
Means the shock will be delivered during the R wave
Synchronized cardioversion
What happens if the shock is delivered during the T wave?
It could cause an “R on T phenomenon,” which could precipitate vtach or vfib
Indications for synchronized cardioversion
- Unstable SVTs (SVT, afib, aflutter)
2. Unstable monomorphic vtach with a pulse
How to perform a synchronized cardioversion
- Place pads in a posterior, left anterior fashion
- Turn knob to defib
- Press sync prior to each shock attempts
- Select energy to be delivered (75-120J)
- Hit the charge button
- Hit the shock button
If you are synchronized cardioverting an atrial rhythm, where does the anterior pad go?
On the R chest