Quiz Packet Flashcards
A patient asks you about his risk of cardiovascular disease. He is 50 years old and has diabetes, is overweight, and smokes cigarettes. What should the paramedic advise him?
A) His risk for cardiovascular disease cannot be modified because of his hereditary risk factors
B) He can modify his risk for cardiovascular disease by losing weight and not smoking
C) His risk for cardiovascular disease will remain high and modifying his lifestyle will not significantly reduce his risk
D) His age and gender raise his risk for cardiovascular disease more than his lifestyle does
B) He can modify his risk for cardiovascular disease by losing weight and not smoking
Which statement is true of the coronary arteries?
A) The right coronary artery supplies most of the blood to the heart
B) The coronary arteries run inside the myocardium
C) The coronary arteries begin just above the aortic valve
D) There are three primary coronary arteries
C) The coronary arteries begin just above the aortic valve
Of what branch is the circumflex artery?
A) Left coronary artery
B) Left anterior descending artery
C) Right coronary artery
D) Marginal artery
A) Left coronary artery
In the event of coronary artery blockage, how could the muscle of the heart still receive blood?
A) Anastomoses
B) Aorta
C) Vasoconstriction
D) Coronary veins
A) Anastomoses
The right atrium receives blood from the systemic circulation and the _________.
A) Left ventricle
B) Coronary vein
C) Pulmonary arteries
D) Pulmonary veins
B) Coronary vein
What is the valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle?
A) Tricuspid valve
B) Mitral valve
C) Semilunar valve
D) Pulmonic valve
A) Tricuspid valve
What term describes the relaxation of the heart?
A) Systole
B) Diastole
C) Refractory period
D) Propagation
B) Diastole
Stroke volume depends on preload, afterload, and what other factor?
A) Blood pressure
B) Vascular resistance
C) Heart rate
D) Myocardial contractility
D) Myocardial contractility
What does Sartling’s law state?
A) Heart rate increases as oxygen demands increase
B) Myocardial fibers contract more forcefully when they are stretched
C) Afterload increases with increased blood pressure
D) Stroke volume decreases when the preload decreases
B) Myocardial fibers contract more forcefully when they are stretched
What is the most important factor in determining stroke volume in a healthy heart?
A) Preload
B) Afterload
C) Heart rate
D) Myocardial contractility
A) Preload
What does an increase in peripheral vascular resistance cause?
A) Increased stroke volume
B) Decreased stroke volume
C) Only minimally affects stroke volume
D) Doubles stroke volume
B) Decreased stroke volume
To increase cardiac output, what action must take place?
A) Increase heart rate and decrease stoke volume
B) Decrease heart rate and increase stroke volume
C) Increase both heart rate and stroke volume
D) Decrease both heart rate and stroke volume
C) Increase both heart rate and stroke volume
The right coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery supply most of the blood to what part of the cardiac muscle?
A) Septum
B) Left atrium
C) Lateral left ventricle
D) Right atrium and ventricle
D) Right atrium and ventricle
The circumflex branch of the left coronary artery mainly supplies blood to what part of the cardiac muscle?
A) Right atrium
B) Right Ventricle
C) Left ventricle
D) Intrinsic pacemakers
C) Left ventricle
The left anterior descending coronary artery mainly supplies blood to what part of the cardiac muscle?
A) Septum
B) Left atrium
C) Lateral right ventricle
D) Intrinsic pacemakers
A) Septum
How is preload defined?
A) Ventricular end-diastolic volume
B) Ventricular pre-diastolic volume
C) Atrial end-diastolic volume
D) Atrial pre-diastolic volume
A) Ventricular end-diastolic volume
What is the group of nerves that innervates the atria and ventricles know as?
A) Brachial plexus
B) Aortic plexus
C) Cardiac plexus
D) Carotid plexus
C) Cardiac plexus
What is the major neurotransmitter for the parasympathetic system?
A) Norepinephrine
B) Epinephrine
C) Dopamine
D) Acetylcholine
D) Acetylcholine
Which of these nerve fibers mainly innervate the ventricles of the heart?
A) Parasympathetic nerve fibers
B) Sympathetic nerve fibers
C) Somatic nerve fibers
D) Efferent nerve-fibers
B) Sympathetic nerve fibers
What is parasympathetic control of the heart provided by?
A) Subclavian nerve
B) Fourth cranial nerve
C) Phrenic nerve
D) Vagus nerve
D) Vagus nerve
The resting membrane potential is determined primarily by the difference between the intracellular potassium ion level and what ion level?
A) Extracellular potassium
B) Intracellular sodium
C) Extracellular magnesium
D) Intracellular calcium
A) Extracellular potassium
When depolarization takes place, what action occurs?
A) Magnesium ions rush into the cell
B) Sodium ions rush into the cell
C) Potassium ions rush out of the cell
D) Calcium ions rush out of the cell
B) Sodium ions rush into the cell
What is the movement function of the sodium-potassium pump?
A) Sodium ions into the cell and potassium ions out of the cell
B) Potassium ions into the cell and sodium ions out of the cell
C) Sodium and potassium ions into the cell
D) Sodium and potassium ions out of the cell
B) Potassium ions into the cell and sodium ions out of the cell
Phase I of the action potential represents what period?
A) Rapid depolarization
B) Early rapid repolarization
C) Plateau
D) Rest between action potentials
B) Early rapid repolarization
What occurs during the period between action potentials?
A) The inside of the cell is positive in relation to the outside of the cell
B) There is excessive sodium in the cell
C) There is excessive potassium in the cell
D) Pacemaker cells are rapidly repolarizing
B) There is excessive sodium in the cell
The AV junction is formed by the AV node and what other part of the cardiovascular electrical system?
A) SA node
B) Right ventricle
C) Bundle of His
D) Left bundle branch
C) Bundle of His
Under normal conditions, what is the dominant pacemaker of the heart?
A) AV node
B) Bundle of His
C) SA node
D) Purkinje fibers
C) SA node
You are treating a patient who has a damaged SA node that is no longer pacing the heart. What cardiac finding should the paramedic expect to find?
A) Bradycardia
B) Tachycardia
C) Asystole
D) Fibrillation
A) Bradycardia
Which cardiac pacemaker has an intrinsic rate of 40-60 beats per minute?
A) SA node
B) Atria
C) AV junction
D) Purkinje fibers
C) AV junction
How does acetylcholine affect the heart?
A) Increasing heart rate
B) Decreasing heart rate
C) Increasing contractility
D) Decreasing contractility
B) Decreasing heart rate
What is the activation of myocardial tissue more than one time by the same impulse called?
A) Automaticity
B) Excitability
C) Doubling
D) Reentry
D) Reentry
Which is a bipolar lead?
A) V1
B) aVF
C) aVR
D) Lead II
D) Lead II
In lead II ECG placement, where is the positive lead located?
A) Left arm
B) Left leg
C) Right shoulder
D) Right leg
B) Left leg
A paramedic places 10 leads: 4 on the limbs and 6 on the chest. What type of ECG is the paramedic obtaining?
A) Standard 3-lead
B) 10-lead
C) 12-lead
D) Modified
C) 12-lead
Paramedics are preparing for a 12-lead ECG. The paramedic has located the 4th intercostal space just to the right of the sternum. What lead should be placed in this location?
A) V1
B) V2
C) V3
D) V4
A) V1
What kind of leads are leads II and III?
A) Inferior
B) Superior
C) Lateral
D) Precordial
A) Inferior
Standard ECG paper is divided into 1-mm blocks and moves past the stylus of the ECG at 25 mm per second. What does each small block represent?
A) 0.01 second
B) 0.04 second
C) 0.10 second
D) 0.20 second
B) 0.04 second
Each small square of graph paper represents _____ mV.
A) 0.001
B) 0.01
C) 0.1
D) 1
C) 0.1
Each square on ECG paper is ____ mm in height and width.
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
A) 1
In a 12-lead ECG, what cardiac position are the leads V1 and V2?
A) Anterior
B) Inferior
C) Septal
D) Lateral
C) Septal
_____ second is measured in each large box on the ECG graph paper.
A) 0.01
B) 0.04
C) 0.10
D) 0.20
D) 0.20
What statement best describes the triplicate method of determining heart rate?
A) Most accurate for children
B) Accurate when the heart rhythm is regular and greater than 50 beats per minute
C) Used when the heart rate is irregular
D) Preferred for patients with rapid ventricular rhythms
B) Accurate when the heart rhythm is regular and greater than 50 beats per minute
When analyzing an ECG tracing, you notice that the rhythm is irregular. What is the best method to calculate the rate?
A) Triplicate method
B) R-R method
C) Six-second count method
D) Caliper method
C) Six-second count method
What can an ECG help determine?
A) Whether there is ischemic cardiac muscle
B) The force of contractions
C) The quality of the patient’s pulse
D) A range of expected blood pressures
A) Whether there is ischemic cardiac muscle
Lead I looks at the heart from what view?
A) Inferior
B) Superior
C) Lateral
D) Anterior
C) Lateral
What is the first upward deflection on an ECG tracing?
A) A wave
B) P wave
C) Q wave
D) T wave
B) P wave
The PR interval represents the time that it takes an electrical impulse to do which action?
A) Generate ventricular contraction
B) Be formed in the SA node
C) Travel through the Purkinje fibers
D) Be conducted through the atria and the AV node
D) Be conducted through the atria and the AV node
The duration of the QRS complex should be _____ second.
A) 0.01 to 0.04
B) 0.04 to 0.20
C) 0.08 to 0.10
D) 0.08 to 0.20
C) 0.08 to 0.10
While analyzing an ECG, you cannot identify a Q wave. What does this most likely indicate?
A) The patient’s heart is ischemic
B) The Q wave may not be visible in the lead you are viewing
C) The patient has previously had an MI
D) The electrodes are placed incorrectly
B) The Q wave may not be visible in the lead you are viewing
What does the ST segment reflect?
A) Early repolarization of the ventricles
B) Time delay for depolarization of the ventricles
C) Absolute refractory period of the ventricles
D) Time of ventricular contraction
A) Early repolarization of the ventricles
What lead is routinely used for monitoring dysrhythmias?
A) Lead I
B) Lead II
C) aVL
D) V2
B) Lead II
What is a characteristic of normal sinus rhythm?
A) Electrical impulse originates from the SA node
B) Purkinje fibers delay electrical transmission
C) PR interval is greater than 0.24 second
D) The QRS complex is greater than 0.18 second
A) Electrical impulse originates from the SA node
ECG analysis reveals that each P wave in the tracing has a different shape. The heart rate is 80 beats per minute. What rhythm should the paramedic suspect?
A) P-P morphology
B) Wandering pacemaker
C) Sinus arrhythmia
D) Type II AV block
B) Wandering pacemaker
You see an irregular rhythm on the monitor with a rate of 66 to 80, a normal PR interval, and a P wave for every QRS. The rate speeds up and slows down with the patient’s respiratory rate. What rhythm should the paramedic suspect?
A) Atrial fibrillation with controlled response
B) Atrial flutter with controlled response
C) Sinus rhythm with frequent PACs
D) Sinus dysrhythmia
D) Sinus dysrhythmia
What is the most likely cause of atrial flutter?
A) Hyperexcitability syndrome
B) Rapid reentry
C) Enhanced conduction channels
D) Ectopic atrial pacemakers
B) Rapid reentry
What is a characteristic of the junctional escape rhythm?
A) Pathologic response to bradycardia
B) Occurs when the SA node fails to fire at a rate higher than the AV node
C) Typically occurs at a rate of 60-80 beats per minute
D) Should be aggressively treated to prevent ventricular fibrillation
B) Occurs when the SA node fails to fire at a rate higher than the AV node
An ECG strip shows a rhythm with a rate of 45, a QRS of 0.08, and a P wave that appears after the QRS. What dysrhythmia should the paramedic suspect?
A) Idioventricular
B) Sinus bradycardia
C) Atrial fibrillation
D) Junctional
D) Junctional
The intrinsic rate for a ventricular pacemaker is ____ beats per minute.
A) 20 to 40
B) 40 to 60
C) 60 to 100
D) 100 to 150
A) 20 to 40