ALS Flashcards
What depth do you perform chest compressions?
5-6cm
What rate do you perform chest compressions?
100-120 bpm
How long can compressions be interrupted to allow endotracheal intubation?
5 seconds or less :|
What monitoring must be used during ET intubation?
Waveform capnography (canals be used to monitorr quality of CPR and when ROSC is achieved;)
What rate of manual ventilation should we aim for?
10 breaths per min
Can you continue chest compressions with an I-Gel in situ without stopping?
Yes, sometimes you can give uninterrupted CPR whilst ventilating with an iGel (supraglottic airway)
Do not stop compressions for ventilation :)
How often should you check for a pulse?
Every 2 minutes
In resp arrest what do you do?
- ventilate pts lungs
- check for a pulse every minute
- if there are any doubts about whether there is a pulse, start chest compressions xo
ALL pts in resp arrest eventually with cardiac arrest
What happens if a pt has a monitored witnessed VT/VF arrest?
Give 3 successive stacked shocks
if the 3rd shock is unsuccessful, the 3 stacked shocks count as the first shock according to ALS algorithm
What is a not often practised method for witnessed VT/VT arrest not attached to a defib?
Precordial thump:/ can be given whilst waiting for a defibrillator
Deliver a sharp impact to the lower half of the sternum from a heigh of 20cm
What is the first monitored rhythm in 20% of cardiac arrests?
VT/VF (shockable rhythms)
What should you do before administering a shock when a pt is in VT/VF?
Tell everyone to stand clear
remove oxygen
make sure no one is near the pt
After delivering the 3rd shock in a VT/VF arrest what do you do next?
- Give adrenaline 1mg IV
- Give amiodarone 300mg
- Repeat another 2min CPR
- give adrenaline again after alternate shocks (approx every 3-5 mins)
What are the reversible causes of cardiac arrest??
- Thrombosis
- Toxins
-Tension pneumothorax - Tamponade
- Hypo/Hyperthermia
- Hypovolaemia
- Hyper/Hypokalaemia
- Hypoxia
How often do you give subsequent doses of adrenaline?
After alternate cycles of 2min CPR (every 3-5 mins)
Does insertion of an endotracheal airway improve likelihood of patient survival during cardiac arrest?
Nope.
Delay in compressions does but otherwise nah
What does waveform capnography check for?
- ensuring tracheal tube placement is correct
- monitoring ventilation during CPR
- monitoring quality of chest compressions
- identifying ROSC
What are low end-tidal CO2 values associated with during CPR
Lower ROSC rates and increased mortality
If you are struggling to gain venous access what access do you try to gain next?
Intraosseous access :)
If injecting drugs into a venous cannula, what should you do?
follow with a flush of atleast 20ml and elevate extremity for 10-20s to facilitate delivery of drug to central circulation
Do IO administered drugs work as quick as IV administered drugs?
IO injection delivers adequate plasma conc in time comparable with IV so yes (yay!!)
What are the three main insertion sites for IO access?
- proximal humerus
- proximal tibia
- distal tibia
What are contraindications to IO access
- trauma
- infection of a prosthesis
- recent IO access
- failure to identify landmarks
How to confirm correct placement of IO
- aspirate IO blood from the needle