ACLS Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

When a patient with bradycardia does not respond to initial treatment measures, transcutaneous pacing should be administered as a critical intervention option. This approach involves delivering electrical stimuli to the heart through the skin to increase the heart rate and restore effective cardiac function.

Transcutaneous pacing is especially important in situations where there is symptomatic bradycardia leading to hemodynamic instability. The pacing provides immediate support by allowing the heart to beat at a controlled rate, which is particularly essential in emergency situations.

In the context of bradycardia, other treatment options may not be suitable or effective against the condition's immediate needs. For example, inotropic agents are typically used to strengthen the force of heart contractions in cases of heart failure rather than addressing a slow heart rate. Antiarrhythmic medications are generally used to treat specific arrhythmias and may not directly correct bradycardia causes. Moreover, administering any medication that could be deemed harmful in critical settings is not an appropriate response.

Thus, transcutaneous pacing stands out as the preferred and most effective measure for managing a patient with persistent bradycardia who does not respond to initial treatments, effectively stabilizing the patient's condition while further therapeutic measures can be arranged.