Blog

A 79-year-old female with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and a hip replacement surgery 4 months ago presents to the FNP’s office with a 2-day history of pain and swelling in the left thigh and calf. The FNP would do which of the following? 

​Laws that require that certain dangerous defendants be confined before trial for their own protection and that of the community are called:

Premature infants are at risk for respiratory distress syndrome, which involves the formation of ___________ in the ___________. 

Assessing the outcome of PEEP at levels set above 15–20 cm H2O is best done using which of the following?

A 190-lb (86-kg), 68-year-old man (IBW = 80 kg) is admitted to the hospital. He is placed on mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure compounded by metabolic acidosis. It is determined that he has a renal disorder. The physician orders peritoneal dialysis. In the interim, the physician asks the respiratory therapist to target a pH of 7.35 with assisted ventilation. Initial assessment of the patient resulted in the following ABG: pH = 7.22, PaCO2 = 38 mm Hg, HCO3− = 15 mEq/L, PaO2 = 98 mm Hg on FIO2 = 0.25.The ventilator settings are VC-CMV, f = 24 breaths/min, VT = 600 mL, FIO2 = 0.25.ABG results on this new setting are pH = 7.37, PaCO2 mm Hg = 23, HCO3− = 13.5 mEq/L, PaO2 = 115 mm Hg. A flow-time graphic shows the following: What is the problem, and what would you suggest to correct this problem and still help the patient?  

When PaCO2 is elevated (>45 mm Hg) and pH is decreased (

A patient with ARDS has the slow pressure–volume loop shown below. Based on this loop, at what level should PEEP be set?

What is the optimal PEEP level given the following information? Time 0700 0710 0720 0735 0740 0755 PEEP 0 5 8 10 12 15 P(a-et)CO2 11 10 6 13 15 15 Compliance 26 28 34 30 27 25 BP 138/90 128/93 120/86 100/70 100/70 105/75

A male patient (83-kg IBW) is intubated and ventilated with PC-CMV, f = 12/min, set PIP = 28 cm H2O, resulting in a VT of 430 mL. The ABG results on this setting are: pH 7.35, PaCO2 45 mm Hg, and HCO 23 mEq/L. Forty-eight hours later on the same settings, the ABG results are: pH 7.54, PaCO2 27 mm Hg, and  HCO 21 mEq/L with an exhaled VT of 800 mL. The most appropriate action at this time is which of the following?

A female patient (59-kg IBW) with no history of pulmonary disease is being invasively ventilated with VC-CMV, f = 12/min, VT = 470 mL, PEEP = 5 cm H2O, FIO2 = 0.5. ABG results with these settings are: pH 7.31, PaCO2 54 mm Hg, PaO2 92 mm Hg, SaO2 90%, HCO 24 mEq/L. The most appropriate action for the respiratory therapist to take is which of the following?