In-hospital ventricular fibrillation

The quiz
You are working in the radiology department as a registered nurse. A panicked secretary calls you to the waiting room where you arrive to find a middle-aged man lying supine on the floor. He appears cyanotic. His wife tells you that they were talking and he suddenly got a funny look on his face and collapsed. He is a diabetic but has no other medical conditions. He was here to have a painful ankle imaged. You instruct the secretary to call for the cardiac arrest team and to send the x-ray technician to retrieve the department defibrillator.


about 3–5 minutes

Question 1 of 5

Your assessment of the patient begins with:

Question 2 of 5

You determine that he is breathing agonal, about two times per minute. You are unsure if you feel a pulse or not. Your next step is to:

Question 3 of 5

Compressions should be done:

Question 4 of 5

You perform 30 compressions being sure that the chest has complete recoil between each compression. Your next step is to:

Question 5 of 5

The x-ray technician arrives with the monitor/defibrillator and attaches it. The monitor reveals ventricular fibrillation. You should:

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The quiz

Correct answers

  • Evaluating level of consciousness, presence of normal breathing, and the presence or absence of a pulse.
  • Immediately begin chest compressions.
  • 100–120 times per minute to a depth of between 2” and 2.4” (5–6cm).
  • Provide two breaths; ensuring chest rise with each breath.
  • Immediately defibrillate the patient using the energy level recommended by the defibrillator manufacturer.

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How we reviewed this article

Our experts continually monitor the medical science space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current version
Jun 23, 2020

Written by:

bob
Feb 23, 2016

Reviewed by:

bob
Changes: Updated VF scenarios