Cardiorespiratory Arrest Flashcards
What are the 4 main types of rhythms in Advanced Life Support?
A : Shockable - Ventricular Fibrillation and Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia.
B : Non-Shockable - Pulseless Electrical Activity and Asystole.
What is Pulseless Electrical Activity?
ECG shows electrical activity that should produce a pulse but CO is absent or inefficient so that a pulse is not clinically detectable.
What is Asystole?
A cardiac arrest rhythm with no discernible electrical activity on the ECG monitor.
What is Ventricular Tachycardia?
Regular broad-complex tachycardia on cardiac monitoring.
What is Ventricular Fibrillation?
Chaotic irregular deflections of varying amplitude.
Management of Cardiac Arrest (3).
- CPR - Chest Compressions 30 : Ventilation 2. Continue while defibrillator is charged.
- Assess rhythm and determine whether it is shockable or not.
- Repeat Adrenaline 1mg every 3-5 minutes whilst ALS continues.
Management of Shockable Rhythms (5).
- Single Shock followed by 2 minutes of CPR.
- If in monitored patient, up to 3 quick successive stacked shocks rather than 1 shock followed by CPR.
- Reassess rhythm.
- Give 1mg Adrenaline once chest compressions start after 3rd shock and every other cycle.
- Give 300mg Amiodarone after 3 shocks and 150mg after 5 shocks.
What is the alternative to Amiodarone?
Lidocaine.
When are Thrombolytic Drugs given in Cardiac Arrest?
If a PE is suspected but CPR needs to be continued for an extended period of 60-90 minutes.
Management of Non-Shockable Rhythms.
Adrenaline 1mg ASAP and every other cycle.
Give 8 reversible causes of Cardiac Arrest.
4Hs :
1. Hypoxia.
2. Hypovolaemia.
3. Hyper/Hypokalaemia, Hypoglycaemia, Hypocalcaemia, Academia.
4. Hypothermia.
4Ts :
1. Thrombosis (Coronary/Pulmonary).
2. Tension Pneumothorax.
3. Tamponade - Cardiac.
4. Toxins.
What are the requirements of the Shock?
- Unsynchronised.
- 120-200J.
