A 36-year-old female patient with a history of asthma is adm…

A 36-year-old female patient with a history of asthma is admitted to the ICU from the emergency department. Her respirations are 30, very labored, with accessory muscle use and bilateral inspiratory and expiratory wheezing. There is bilateral hyperresonance during chest percussion. A blood gas taken in the ICU after 1 hour of continuous aerosolized albuterol (15 mg) reveals: pH 7.38, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) 42 mm Hg, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) 53 mm Hg, oxygen saturation (SaO2) 88%, bicarbonate (HCO) 25 mEq/L with nasal cannula 6 L/min. The patient is 5’5″ and weighs 135 lb. The most appropriate action at this time is which of the following?

A patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome has a pla…

A patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome has a plateau pressure (Pplat) of 30 cm H2O and a peak inspiratory pressure of 39 cm H2O. VT is 0.7 on VC-CMV. The decision is made to switch to PC-CMV (PCV) to keep pressures at a safe level. What pressure would you set and why?