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During recovery from resection of an aortic aneurysm, a 65-year-old female patient suddenly develops severe substernal chest pain with grave dyspnea. The physician describes the bilateral breath sounds as basilar moist crepitant crackles. The patient appears pale, cool and diaphoretic. Which of the following should the respiratory therapist recommend as part of the initial assessment of this patient?

A 10-year-old patient with asthma is asked to monitor his airflow improvement following each Beta-2 agonist treatment taken at home. Which of the following should the therapist provide for the patient?

A patient is diagnosed with unilateral lung disease. The physician has requested that the effected lung be ventilated at a pressure 10 cm H2O lower than the normal lung. The respiratory therapist should recommend providing this type of ventilation via 

Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy?

A tracheostomy tube has just been changed on a patient receiving continuous volume-cycled ventilation. The patient suddenly becomes dyspneic and develops crepitus around the tracheostomy stoma. The respiratory therapist should

A patient involved in a motor vehicle accident has sustained a long bone fracture and remains in traction. The patient suddenly complains of chest pain and develops tachypnea and tachycardia. The respiratory therapist should

A patient is suspected of having developed a pulmonary embolus. Which of the following tests should the therapist recommend to confirm the diagnosis?

Blood gas results from an apparently healthy patient reveal a pH of 7.37, PaCO2 of 15 torr, PaO2 of 140 torr. The patient is breathing room air and displays no tachycardia, tachypnea, or adventitious breath sounds. Which of the following is an appropriate conclusion to draw on the basis of this information?

Which of the following will give the most accurate measurement of volume and flow for spirometry?

A patient has 2 mediastinal chest tubes following a thoracotomy. The respiratory therapist notes that there is continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber of the chest drainage system. The therapist should