NREMT Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Cognitive ExamCardiology & ResuscitationHard
A 40-year-old female is in cardiac arrest. CPR is ongoing, and she has been intubated. The team is preparing to administer medications. Which of the following medications is indicated for all forms of cardiac arrest?
- ASodium Bicarbonate.
- BEpinephrine.
- CAtropine.
- DAmiodarone.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Epinephrine.
Epinephrine is indicated for all forms of cardiac arrest (pulseless ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation, asystole, and pulseless electrical activity) due to its alpha-adrenergic effects, causing vasoconstriction, which increases cerebral and coronary perfusion pressures.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Sodium bicarbonate is indicated for specific situations like severe metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, or tricyclic antidepressant overdose, not routinely for all cardiac arrest.
- C. Atropine is used for symptomatic bradycardia, not typically indicated for cardiac arrest unless it's a specific type of asystole (e.g., vagal tone related) which is not a general indication.
- D. Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic used for refractory ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia after initial defibrillation and epinephrine, not all forms of arrest.
Epinephrine in Cardiac Arrest
The role of epinephrine as a universally indicated medication in advanced cardiac life support for all non-traumatic cardiac arrest rhythms.
- Vasoconstrictor (alpha-adrenergic effects).
- Increases myocardial and cerebral blood flow during CPR.
- Administered 1 mg IV/IO every 3-5 minutes.
- Indicated for VF, pVT, asystole, and PEA.
Memory trick: Epi for all, stand tall, make the heart recall!