RRT Flashcards
7 cards from real RRT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 RRT flashcards as text
Which ventilator waveform pattern indicates air trapping (auto-PEEP) on a flow-time scalar?
Answer: Expiratory flow that does not return to zero before the next breath
Auto-PEEP is identified when expiratory flow fails to return to baseline (zero) before the next inspiratory cycle begins.
Which of the following is a contraindication to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV)?
Answer: Inability to protect airway due to altered mental status
Patients unable to protect their airway due to decreased consciousness are at high risk for aspiration and should be intubated.
What does a shift of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to the RIGHT indicate?
Answer: Decreased hemoglobin affinity for oxygen and increased tissue oxygen delivery
A rightward shift (Bohr effect) decreases hemoglobin-O2 affinity, promoting oxygen release to tissues; caused by acidosis, hyperthermia, or elevated 2,3-DPG.
Which parameter best reflects the adequacy of alveolar ventilation?
Answer: PaCO2
PaCO2 directly reflects CO2 elimination and is the gold-standard measure of alveolar ventilation adequacy.
A patient on mechanical ventilation develops sudden decrease in SpO2, increased peak airway pressure, absent breath sounds on the left, and tracheal deviation to the right. The MOST likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Left-sided tension pneumothorax
Absent left breath sounds, tracheal deviation away from the affected side, and hemodynamic instability indicate left-sided tension pneumothorax requiring emergency needle decompression.
Which inhaled medication is classified as an anticholinergic bronchodilator and is commonly used in COPD maintenance therapy?
Answer: Tiotropium
Tiotropium is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) that blocks M3 receptors to produce sustained bronchodilation in COPD.
The recommended tidal volume for lung-protective ventilation in ARDS is:
Answer: 6-8 mL/kg ideal body weight
ARDSNet protocol recommends 6 mL/kg IBW (with allowance to 8 mL/kg) to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury.