Respiratory and Pulmonary Care Flashcards
6 cards from real CMSRN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Respiratory and Pulmonary Care flashcards as text
A patient develops stridor after extubation. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Notify the physician and prepare for possible reintubation
Post-extubation stridor indicates laryngeal edema or obstruction and requires immediate physician notification and preparation for airway rescue.
Which sign is an early indicator of hypoxemia in an adult patient?
Answer: Restlessness and anxiety
Restlessness and anxiety are early signs of hypoxemia as the brain is sensitive to decreased oxygen and responds with agitation before cyanosis appears.
A patient is on continuous pulse oximetry and has an SpO2 reading of 99% but appears pale and is confused. What should the nurse consider?
Answer: The probe may be on a poorly perfused site, leading to inaccurate reading
Pulse oximetry can be falsely elevated in poorly perfused extremities or in the presence of carbon monoxide; the clinical picture must always be correlated.
When teaching a patient with newly diagnosed COPD about breathing techniques, the nurse should emphasize:
Answer: Pursed-lip breathing to prevent airway collapse
Pursed-lip breathing slows exhalation, maintains positive airway pressure, and prevents premature airway collapse in COPD patients.
A patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is on a ventilator. Which ventilation strategy is recommended to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury?
Answer: Low tidal volumes of 6 mL/kg ideal body weight
Low tidal volume ventilation (6 mL/kg IBW) is the evidence-based strategy for ARDS to reduce barotrauma and ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI).
The nurse assesses a patient and hears diminished breath sounds at the bases bilaterally with fine crackles. This finding is most consistent with:
Answer: Pulmonary edema or early pneumonia
Bilateral basilar crackles with diminished breath sounds suggest fluid accumulation in the lungs, as seen in pulmonary edema or bilateral pneumonia.