(01.01 MC) The intervention of extraterrestrials has been used to explain the Bermuda Triangle, a region of the Atlantic Ocean where ships and planes are frequently lost, leaving no evidence behind. How would this explanation best be characterized? (3 points)

(01.01 MC) Cetology is an area of study that examines the physical characteristics and behaviors of some types of marine mammals by using experimentation. How would Cetology best be characterized? (3 points)

(01.02 HC) A physicist is studying light absorbance in the ocean. He graphs his data as shown below. © 2015 http://science.kennesaw.edu What color of light would most likely be present at 200 meters below sea level, and why? Justify your answer by using the provided data. (3 points)

On which day is your initial discussion post due?

A 60-year-old patient is presenting to the emergency department with respiratory distress, hypoxia, hypotension, fever, and significantly altered mentation. A presumptive diagnosis of pneumonia is suspected.  In order of priority, the most appropriate interventions for this patient are:

A patient with pneumonia and ARDS is being mechanically ventilated. The ventilator displays elevated plateau pressures despite low tidal volumes. Which of the following best explains this finding?

A 64-year-old female presents with bilateral pleural effusions and a history of poorly controlled congestive heart failure (CHF). She is mildly symptomatic with dyspnea on exertion. Thoracentesis reveals a transudative effusion. What is the most appropriate initial management strategy?

A 32-year-old patient was admitted to an urgent care facility with tachypnea, complaining of light-headedness. The patient disclosed a positive history of anxiety with panic attacks. Arterial blood gas was obtained with the following results: pH: 7.44 | PaCO2: 28 | HCO3: 20. The AGACNP interprets these results as:

A 50-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath, fatigue, and non-productive cough for the past 3 days. On admission the patient temperature was 38.6 degrees Celsius. Vital signs were remarkable for hypotension (100/72 mmHg), tachycardia (110 bpm), and a respiratory rate of 21. The pulse oximetry on room air revealed a SpO2 of 85%. The AGACNP assessing this patient is interested in knowing the possible etiology of the patient’s hypoxemia. An age adjusted A-a gradient will help in the process of evaluating the source.   The AGACNP performs the calculation and finds the following value for age expected A-a ratio:  

A 68-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a 3-day history of productive cough, fever, pleuritic chest pain, and shortness of breath. He has a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. On exam, he is febrile (38.9°C), tachypneic (RR 26), and has crackles in the right lower lung field. SpO2 monitoring reveals an oxygen saturation of 90% on room air.  Chest X-ray shows a right lower lobe infiltrate. What is the most appropriate next step in management?