Trivia Flashcards
7 cards from real Acute Care Nurse Practitioner practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Trivia flashcards as text
A patient develops sudden dyspnea and hypotension after central line placement. Trachea is deviated. What is the IMMEDIATE intervention?
Answer: Needle decompression of the affected side
Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis requiring immediate needle decompression at the 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line — do not wait for imaging.
Which is the MOST common cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients?
Answer: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common gram-negative organism causing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICU patients.
What does a CPOT (Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool) score of 5 or higher indicate?
Answer: Pain is present and requires intervention
A CPOT score ≥5 out of 8 indicates significant pain in non-verbal ICU patients, warranting analgesic intervention.
A patient with cirrhosis presents with confusion and asterixis after a GI bleed. Which medication is FIRST-LINE treatment?
Answer: Lactulose
Lactulose is first-line for acute hepatic encephalopathy; it reduces ammonia absorption by acidifying colonic contents and promoting its excretion.
Which ventilator mode allows the patient to trigger breaths but guarantees a set tidal volume with each breath?
Answer: Assist-control volume control (AC-VC)
AC-VC delivers a set tidal volume with each breath (patient-triggered or machine-triggered), ensuring consistent volume delivery.
A post-op cardiac surgery patient develops Beck's triad. Which condition does this suggest?
Answer: Cardiac tamponade
Beck's triad (hypotension, muffled heart sounds, JVD) is the classic presentation of cardiac tamponade from pericardial fluid compressing the heart.
What is the target glucose range recommended by most critical care guidelines for ICU patients?
Answer: 140-180 mg/dL
Tight glycemic control (80-110) increased mortality per the NICE-SUGAR trial; current guidelines target 140-180 mg/dL to balance glycemic control and hypoglycemia risk.