Acute Respiratory Failure Flashcards
7 cards from real CCRN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Acute Respiratory Failure flashcards as text
A patient with acute respiratory failure from a narcotic overdose presents with slow shallow breathing and PaCO2 of 70. The most appropriate reversal agent is:
Answer: Naloxone
Naloxone reverses opioid-induced respiratory depression and restores adequate ventilation.
Which lab/monitoring tool provides the EARLIEST noninvasive warning of falling ventilation in a sedated patient?
Answer: Continuous capnography (end-tidal CO2)
Capnography detects hypoventilation before oxygen saturation drops, especially with supplemental oxygen.
In acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) improves oxygenation primarily by:
Answer: Delivering high FiO2 with a low level of positive pressure and flushing dead space
HFNC delivers heated humidified high-flow gas that washes out dead space and generates modest PEEP-like pressure.
A patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome is monitored for respiratory failure. The most useful bedside measure to anticipate the need for intubation is:
Answer: Declining vital capacity / negative inspiratory force
Neuromuscular weakness reduces vital capacity and NIF, signaling impending ventilatory failure before ABG changes.
Refractory hypoxemia despite optimal ventilator settings and prone positioning may warrant which advanced therapy?
Answer: Venovenous ECMO
VV-ECMO provides extracorporeal gas exchange for severe ARDS unresponsive to conventional management.
A patient on the ventilator becomes acutely agitated and desaturates. Using the DOPE mnemonic, which should be assessed FIRST?
Answer: Displacement of the tube, Obstruction, Pneumothorax, Equipment failure
DOPE stands for Displacement, Obstruction, Pneumothorax, and Equipment failure—the rapid checklist for acute deterioration on a ventilator.
Which finding best indicates a patient is ready for a spontaneous breathing trial (weaning readiness)?
Answer: Adequate oxygenation on low PEEP/FiO2 with resolving underlying cause and intact respiratory drive
Weaning is appropriate when the cause is improving, oxygenation is stable on minimal support, and the patient has an adequate drive.