Question

Your ALS team is dispatched for a 70 year old woman who suddenly. collapsed while on her morning jog. Bystander CPR was performed and the patient did not respond to initial BLS, including initial Defibrillation with an AED. The scene is safe. · You conduct the primary assessment, including rhythm analysis, while high quality BLS continues. What type of rhythm is being displayed on the monitor?

Answer 1

The rhythm displayed on the monitor in a collapsed 70-year-old woman who did not respond to initial CPR and defibrillation could be persistent ventricular fibrillation, treated with an AED possibly combined with continued CPR by the ALS team.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a cardiac emergency, when a 70-year-old woman collapses during a jog and does not respond to bystander CPR or initial defibrillation, the rhythm being displayed on the monitor after analyzing with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can be either persistent ventricular fibrillation or another arrhythmia that is unresponsive to initial shocks. Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening condition where the heart beats in a rapid, erratic pattern, preventing it from pumping blood effectively, and it may lead to brain death if not treated promptly. CPR is essential in such cases before and possibly after the use of an AED, and it is common for ambulances to carry defibrillators. These devices are also available in public places and provide verbal instructions for laypersons to administer life-saving shocks to reestablish a normal sinus rhythm.