Certified Cardiovascular Technician Practice Exam

If a cardiac arrest patient's rhythm is assessed as not shockable, what should be done first?

1. Administer medications

2. Begin CPR

3. Prepare for intubation

4. Wait for further instructions

The correct answer is: Begin CPR

When a cardiac arrest patient's rhythm is assessed and found to be non-shockable, the first step is to begin CPR. This is critical because effective chest compressions can help maintain blood flow to vital organs, particularly the brain and heart, during a cardiac arrest. Initiating CPR immediately supports the patient by providing necessary circulation until advanced life support can be applied. The goal of CPR in this context is to restore some degree of blood circulation to vital organs while preparing for the potential administration of medications and other interventions. While medications might be essential later on to address the underlying causes of the cardiac arrest, they are not effective if there is no circulation to deliver them. Intubation may be necessary at some point to secure the airway and provide adequate ventilation, but the priority remains on providing compressions first. Waiting for further instructions does not contribute to the immediate care required in a life-threatening situation, where every second counts. Thus, starting CPR is the critical action in this scenario.