A 77-year-old female presents to ER with shortness of breath…

A 77-year-old female presents to ER with shortness of breath, severe hypoxia, and hypercapnia. She was intubated and is currently sedated. She was admitted to the ICU. She has bilateral crackles on exam. The nurse practitioner orders a chest Xray and laboratory studies while rounding in the intensive care unit. She has been on ventilator now for 78 hours. The chest Xray shows consolidation in right lower lobe concerning for pneumonia. What is the treatment plan?

A 77 year old female is admitted to the Neuro ICU secondary…

A 77 year old female is admitted to the Neuro ICU secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage. 3 days after admission she remains intubated requiring mechanical ventilation.  Morning labs: WBC 15K, H&H 12.5 & 35.1, Plt 205K. Na+ 148, K+ 4.2, Mg+ 2.1, BUN 15, Cr 1.0, glucose 112.  Bilateral crackles on heard on physical exam, therefore a chest x-ray is ordered. Right upper and middle lobe pneumonia is noted.  What is the most appropriate treatment regimen? 

A clinical laboratory participates in proficiency testing (P…

A clinical laboratory participates in proficiency testing (PT) as required by accreditation standards. After receiving an unsatisfactory PT result, the lab reviews its procedures and staff training. Which of the following statements BEST reflects the potential consequences and requirements related to PT performance?