The nurse notes the following rhythm on the heart monitor.The patient is unresponsive and not breathing.The nurse should
A) treat with intravenous amiodarone or lidocaine.
B) provide emergent basic and advanced life support.
C) provide electrical cardioversion.
D) ignore the rhythm because it is benign.

Question

The nurse notes the following rhythm on the heart monitor.The patient is unresponsive and not breathing.The nurse should 
A) treat with intravenous amiodarone or lidocaine. 
B) provide emergent basic and advanced life support. 
C) provide electrical cardioversion. 
D) ignore the rhythm because it is benign.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ventricular fibrillation (VF)is a chaotic rhythm characterized by a quivering of the ventricles,which results in total loss of cardiac output and pulse.VF is a life-threatening emergency,and the more immediate the treatment,the better the survival will be.VF produces a wavy baseline without a PQRST complex.Because a loose lead or electrical interference can produce a waveform similar to VF,it is always important to immediately assess the patient for pulse and consciousness.If no pulse is present,provide emergent basic and advanced life-support interventions,including defibrillation.IV medications can be used as part of advanced life support.Cardioversion is not warranted since the patient is pulseless.This rhythm is not benign and cannot be ignored.

The Nurse Notes the Following Rhythm on the Heart Monitor