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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

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

The peak inspiratory pressure on a pressure-cycled ventilator is 30 cm H2O. The respiratory therapist decreases the inspiratory flow. This change would affect the

While administering an intermittent positive pressure breathing treatment to a post-operative patient with atelectasis, the respiratory therapist determines that the ventilator is self-cycling between the patient-initiated breaths. The therapist should adjust the

A 62-year-old patient with a history of emphysema (body weight 50 kg, 110 lb) requires mechanical ventilation because of acute respiratory failure. The respiratory therapist notes the following: Mode VC, SIMVSet rate 10 br/min.Total rate 16 br/min.VT 400 mLFIO2 0.28 Arterial blood gases are as follows: pH 7.37PCO2 56 torrPO2 65 torrHCO3- 32 mEq/L The respiratory therapist should

For a patient enrolled in a smoking cessation program, which of the following would indicate that the patient is non-compliant?