Respiratory Care Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Respiratory Care flashcards as text
A patient with COPD exacerbation has ABGs: pH 7.28, PaCO2 62 mmHg, PaO2 54 mmHg, HCO3 28 mEq/L. Which intervention is priority?
Answer: Initiate non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV)
NIPPV (BiPAP) is first-line for COPD exacerbation with hypercapnic respiratory failure, improving ventilation while avoiding intubation.
Which finding in a patient receiving mechanical ventilation indicates ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)?
Answer: New infiltrate on chest X-ray with purulent secretions and fever >38.3°C
VAP is diagnosed by new or worsening radiographic infiltrate plus at least two of: fever, leukocytosis, and purulent secretions.
A nurse is caring for a patient after thoracentesis. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention?
Answer: SpO2 dropping from 96% to 88% with tracheal deviation
Tracheal deviation with decreasing SpO2 after thoracentesis suggests tension pneumothorax, a life-threatening complication requiring emergency needle decompression.
A patient using an incentive spirometer should be instructed to perform the technique in which way?
Answer: Inhale slowly and deeply to raise the piston, hold 3–5 seconds, then exhale
Slow, sustained maximal inhalation with a 3–5 second breath hold maximizes alveolar recruitment and prevents atelectasis.
Which oxygen delivery system provides the most precise FiO2 for a patient with chronic hypercapnia?
Answer: Venturi mask
The Venturi mask delivers a precise, controlled FiO2 regardless of patient breathing pattern, essential for patients with chronic CO2 retention.
A post-operative patient refuses to perform deep breathing exercises. Which is the nurse's best initial response?
Answer: Administer prescribed pain medication and then reteach the technique
Adequate pain control is the most common barrier to deep breathing post-operatively; managing pain first enables effective patient participation.
When performing endotracheal suctioning, the nurse should limit each suction pass to a maximum of how many seconds?
Answer: 10–15 seconds
Suctioning beyond 10–15 seconds risks hypoxemia, dysrhythmias, and mucosal trauma; pre- and post-oxygenation with 100% O2 is also required.