Cardiac arrest Flashcards
define cardiac arrest
heart stops, no pulse, no breathing
what are the 3 main, broad, causes of cardiac arrest
airways, breathing, circulation
what approach is used in cardiac arrest
ABCDE
what would you check for in airway?
tongue, swollen throat, blocked with vomit/ blood
what would you check for in breathing? what can cause issues?
fast, noisy, trauma, muscle damage, COPD
what would you check for in circulation? what can cause issues?
O2 sats, ABG = gold standard, tachycardia, BP. hypoxaemia, valve diseases, acute coronary symptoms
what would you check for in disability?
AVPU, blood glucose
what would you check for in exposure?
remove clothes to look for bleeds, scars etc, maintain dignity and keep body warm
describe a person who is unconscious
not responding but breathing + pulse
describe a person who is in resp arrest
not responding, no breathing, pulse
describe a person who is in cardiac arrest
not responding + no breathing + no pulse
describe CPR + breaths
1) head tilt chin lift
2) look, listen, feel for breathing (10 secs)
3) 30 chest compressions, 5-6cm, 100-120bpm
4) 2x breaths close nose, lift chin (5 secs)
what 2 arrhythmias are shockable?
ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT)
what are 2 non-shockable arrhythmias
asystole and PEA (pulseless electrical activity)
describe what asystole would show on an ECG and treatment
wavy line with no QRS, maybe some p waves. CPR and reassess every 2 mins. give 1mg IV adrenaline immediately then every 3-5mins
what would PEA show on an ECG and how would you treat it
pulseless electrical activity, ECG can be normal but physical appearance of a CA. CPR for 2 mins and reassess, give 1mg IV adrenaline immediately and then every 3-5mins
what is a pre-cordial thump and when would you use it
if patient has monitored VF/VT and defib not immediately available, not very effective
what is a defib and what does it hopefully do?
uses electrical current to restore NSR
what 2 types of defib are there
manual paddles and self adhesive (better).
what are the steps of using a defib in VT/VF? including drug management
1 shock immediately –> CPR 2mins then reassess –> 2nd shock –> 2mins CPR, reassess –> 3rd shock + 1mg IV adrenaline (3-5mins after) + amiodarone –> CPR…
what can be used for ventilation
tracheal tube (gold standard), supraglottic airway devise (iGEL), self inflating bag.
when do you stop CPR?
when NSR returns or futile
