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A 17-year-old male presents in the ED in severe respiratory distress. The patient is well known by the hospital staff as he has a long history of asthma that has required multiple hospitalizations. He appears semi-conscious and cyanotic. Auscultation reveals bilateral wheezes. On a 2 L/min nasal cannula, here are the results of the arterial blood gas: pH: 6.97 PaC02: 103 HC03: 23 Pa02: 33 What should be the primary goal (s) for the respiratory therapist caring for this patient?  Select all that apply.

A 27-year-old is brought to the emergency department by paramedics following a drug overdose. The patient is obtunded. Arterial Blood Gases are drawn on room air.  ABG Results:  pH 7.24 PaC02 60 mm Hg Pa02 65 mm Hg HC03 26 mEq/L What is the A-a gradient for this patient?

A 27-year-old female in her third trimester of pregnancy enters the emergency department with a fractured left tibia caused by a fall on the ice. She appears short of breath, is agitated, and is complaining of severe pain. The ABG on room air results are as follows: pH: 7.43 PaC02: 31 HC03: 22 Pa02: 74 How would you interpret the results? 

What is considered an absolute contraindication for using intermittent positive-pressure breathing?

You are administering CPT to a patient via pneumatic percussor. The vital signs pre-treatment were as follows: HR 85 bpm and RR 16 bpm, during the therapy you notice the patient’s vitals have changed to HR 90 bpm and RR 20 bpm. What action would you suggest at this time? 

What exactly is a “bacterial lawn”? What is the use for a bacterial lawn?

The application of gravity to achieve specific clinical objectives in respiratory care best describes _____________.

In the Kirby-Bauer plate in the photograph, the effect indicated by the letter D (disc 4) is

  A patient is lying on her left side, turned one-quarter toward her back, with the head of the bed down. What division of the lung is being drained? 

Airway clearance therapy is recommended for patients who produce more than ____ ml of secretions per day and have difficulty clearing them from the airway