Flight and Transport Flashcards

During a rotor-wing transport at 8,000 feet MSL, an unventilated pneumothorax is most likely to worsen because of which gas law?

Answer: Boyle's Law

Boyle's Law states that as pressure decreases with altitude, gas volume expands, causing a pneumothorax to enlarge.

A flight nurse is transporting a patient with an endotracheal tube inflated with air at sea level. At altitude, the cuff pressure will most likely:

Answer: Increase due to expansion of trapped air

Air in the ETT cuff expands at altitude per Boyle's Law, increasing cuff pressure and risking tracheal mucosal ischemia.

When preparing a patient with a PASG (pneumatic anti-shock garment) for air transport, the flight nurse should:

Answer: Monitor and adjust pressure during altitude changes

PASG compartments expand at altitude so pressure must be monitored and released incrementally to prevent over-inflation.

Which type of transport aircraft provides the most stable platform for performing advanced interventions such as defibrillation or surgical airways?

Answer: Fixed-wing pressurized aircraft

Pressurized fixed-wing aircraft offer greater cabin space, altitude control, and reduced vibration, making advanced interventions easier to perform.

A flight nurse notices significant rotor wash during patient loading. The correct safety approach for ground personnel is to:

Answer: Wait for the pilot's hand signal and approach from the front in the pilot's line of sight

Personnel should always approach in view of the pilot from the front, never from the rear where the tail rotor poses a lethal hazard.

At high altitude, partial pressure of inspired oxygen (PiO2) decreases. To maintain adequate oxygen delivery to a critically ill patient, the flight nurse should first:

Answer: Increase the FiO2 or switch to 100% O2

Increasing the FiO2 compensates for the reduced partial pressure of oxygen at altitude, maintaining adequate SpO2.

During a fixed-wing transport, a patient develops air sickness (motion sickness). The MOST appropriate initial pharmacological intervention is:

Answer: Ondansetron (Zofran) 4 mg IV

Ondansetron is preferred in flight because it lacks the sedative and respiratory-depressant effects associated with promethazine and antihistamines.