With arterial line systems, tubing that is excessive in length (longer than 4 feet) or highly compliant will affect:

A patient recovering from abdominal surgery is having difficulty developing an effective cough. Which of the following actions would you recommend to aid this patient in generating a more effective cough? Select all that apply.

You are caring for a patient who has sustained massive head trauma following a motor-vehicle collision. The patient is intubated with an 8.5 ETT and requires frequent suctioning. The nurse is concerned about potentially raising the ICP with each suction pass. What pharmacologic action is most appropriate to potentially decrease the impact of suctioning upon the ICP?

Clamping the chest tube in the presence of a continuous air leak will result in:

Select a description of the mechanism whereby an increase in positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) results in an increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).

A 52-year-old female patient has developed ARDS with hypoxemic respiratory failure following surgery to repair intestinal perforation. Which of the following approaches to the management of hypoxemia is contraindicated?

You are caring for an intubated adult patient in your ICU. You suspect this patient may have a left lower extremity DVT. Which signs and/or symptoms led you to this suspicion? Select all that apply.

A 57-year-old female with ARDS is being ventilated in the Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) mode. Ventilator settings are: Time high 4.0 seconds, Time low 1.5 seconds, Pressure high 35 cmH2O, Pressure low 0 cmH2O. The Respiratory Care Practitioner notes the following assessment information: SpO2 86%, expiratory flow tapers to 20% of the PEFR at the end of Time Low. Select the appropriate practitioner response to these assessment findings.

A 19-year-old male patient is emergently intubated following blunt trauma to the right chest. Computed tomography of the chest identifies pulmonary contusions and atelectasis throughout the right chest. Which outcome is most likely with a PEEP setting of 20cmH2O?

You obtain an arterial blood gas analysis and do not ice the sample because you plan to analyze it immediately. However, you are called emergently to another patient’s room and leave the sample on the bed. 40 minutes later, you return to retrieve the sample. If you were to analyze the sample, how would PaCO2 be affected?