cardiac arrest management Flashcards
how do you recognise a cardiac arrest?
- unresponsive patient
- not breathing properly
- no pulse
what is the in-hospital management of collapsed/sick patient?
collapsed/sick patient
shout for help and assess patient
signs of life
NO = call resuss team, CPR 30:2, defib if appropriate, adv life support from team
YES = asses ABCDE, oxygen, monitoring, IV access, call ressus team if app, hand over to team
what are shockable rhythms?
- VF
- pulseless VT
what is the immediate post cardiac arrest treatment?
- ABCDE
- aim for O2 of 94-98
- aim for normal CO2
- 12 lead ECG
- treat cause
- targeted temperature
what drug is given for bradycardia?
- atropine or B-stimulant eg ephedrine
what drug do you use for excess afterload?
- vasodilators
eg HBP
what drug do you use to reduce afterload?
- vasoconstrictor
eg septic shock
how is airway obstruction treated?
- airway opening eg head tilt chin lift
- simple adjuncts
- advanced techniques eg LMA, tracheal tube
- oxygen (increase FiO2)
what are the 4 categories that patients can be in?
- responsive/unresponsive = conscious/uncoscious
- breathing = unconscious = recovery position/help
- not breathing = respiratory arrest = help/ventilation
- no pulse = cardiac arrest = help/CPR
what is the diagnosis of a cardiac arrest?
- unresponsive
- not breathing normally
how to carry out adult basic life support?
- shake and shout
- head tilt chin lift
- assess breathing eg look for movement
- 30 chest compressions - 5-6cm, 100-120 per minute
- 2x rescue breath - hold nose
what do you do if someone is chocking?
- severe?
unconscious = start CPR
conscious = 5 back blows, 5 abdominal thrusts
what is ventricular fibrillation?
- a shockable rhythm
- no recognisable QRS complexes
- random frequency and amplitude
- unco-ordinated electrical activity
what is ventricular tachycardia? VT
- monomorphic VT
- broad complex rhythm
- rapid rate
- constant QRS morphology
- polymorphic VT
- torsade de pointes
what is defibrillation?
- use of electrical current to reset heart electrical rhythm with hope that regular rhythm will recur