Advanced Life Support (BLS & ACLS) Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive flashcards covering Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) concepts, procedures, and pharmacology based on the lecture notes.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

The emergency maintenance of heart and lung action to restore life to someone who appears dead to prevent brain damage or death.

Two main components of conventional CPR

Chest compression to make the heart pump and mouth-to-mouth ventilation to breathe for the victim.

Hands-only CPR

A form of resuscitation involving continuous, rapid chest compressions only; it is effective but not as beneficial as conventional CPR for a patient who is not breathing.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

A level of medical care used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until full medical care is available, provided by bystanders without special aids or equipment.

Vital Functions

Consciousness, respiration, and circulation; the failure of one results in the cessation of the remaining two.

Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs

Chest pain, dyspnoea, signs of hypoxia, restlessness, cyanosis, tachypnoea, sweating, exhaustion, fainting, blurred vision, and sudden palpitation or irregular pulses.

5 H's (Potential Reversible Causes)

Hypoxia, Hypovolemia, Hyper/Hypokalemia, Hypothermia, and Hydrogen ion (acidosis).

5 T's (Potential Reversible Causes)

Toxins (overdose), Thromboemboli (Pulmonary), Thromboemboli (Coronary), Tension Pneumothorax, and Tamponade (cardiac).

Agonal breathing

Occasional gasping that is ineffective and does not count as normal breathing during assessment.

BLS Assessment Sequence (C.A.B.D)

Circulation, Airway, Breathing, and Defibrillation.

Circulation (BLS)

Evaluate for signs of a pulse for a maximum of $10$ seconds; if absent, perform $30$ rapid, deep compressions at a rate of $100-120$ per min.

Jaw Thrust Manoeuvre

A method used to open the airway if a spinal or neck injury is suspected.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

A set of clinical guidelines for urgent treatment of life-threatening cardiovascular conditions using advanced medical procedures, medications, and techniques.

Primary Assessment (A.B.C.D.E)

Advanced airway, Breathing, Circulatory interventions, Disability, and Exposure.

Transthoracic Impedance

The resistance encountered by electric current as it passes through the chest; it is reduced by applying firm pressure to defibrillator paddles.

Monophasic Defibrillator

A device that delivers current in a unipolar (one direction) flow, typically requiring an initial shock level of $360\,J$.

Biphasic Defibrillator

A device where current flows in a positive direction for a duration before reversing; the recommended energy level is $120-200\,J$.

Restore of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC)

The restoration of spontaneous circulation for longer than $1$ minute.

Adrenaline (Epinephrine)

A drug causing systemic vasoconstriction to increase coronary/cerebral perfusion; given as $1\,mg$ every $3-5$ minutes during CPR.

Amiodarone

A membrane-stabilizing antiarrhythmic drug; the initial dose is $300\,mg$ after the third shock, with a second dose of $150\,mg$ after the fifth shock.

Lidocaine

An antiarrhythmic drug indicated for refractory VF/VT when Amiodarone is unavailable; initial dose is $100\,mg$ ($1-1.5\,mg\,kg^{-1}$).

Atropine

A drug that antagonizes acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors to block the vagus nerve; used for unstable bradycardia at a dose of $0.5\,mg$ up to $3.0\,mg$.

AVPU scale

A tool for assessing neurologic function/responsiveness: Alert, Voice, Painful, and Unresponsive.

Shockable Rhythms

Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) and Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia (pVT).

Non-shockable Rhythms

Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) and Asystole.