CHT Patient Care & Monitoring in Hyperbaric Settings 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy suddenly becomes pale, diaphoretic, and reports feeling faint. What is the FIRST action the CHT should take?
- Increase the oxygen flow rate
- Notify the physician and begin patient assessment (Correct answer)
- Immediately decompress and remove the patient from the chamber
- Administer oral glucose
Correct answer: Notify the physician and begin patient assessment
The CHT should immediately notify the supervising physician and assess the patient's vital signs before taking further action.
Question 2: Which monitoring parameter is MOST critical to assess for a patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during HBO therapy?
- Core body temperature
- Blood glucose levels
- Respiratory rate and oxygen saturation (Correct answer)
- Pupillary response
Correct answer: Respiratory rate and oxygen saturation
COPD patients may have hypoxic drive and are at risk for respiratory complications, making respiratory rate and SpO2 critical monitoring parameters.
Question 3: A multiplace hyperbaric chamber is pressurized to 2.4 ATA. A patient complains of severe ear pain during compression. What is the correct response?
- Continue compression and instruct the patient to swallow repeatedly
- Halt compression, decompress slowly to a depth where pain resolves, then attempt re-compression more slowly (Correct answer)
- Stop the treatment and fully decompress immediately
- Administer a nasal decongestant and continue compression
Correct answer: Halt compression, decompress slowly to a depth where pain resolves, then attempt re-compression more slowly
Halting compression and slowly decompressing until pain resolves allows the patient to equilibrate before attempting further compression at a slower rate.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a tender in a multiplace hyperbaric chamber?
- To operate chamber controls from inside the chamber
- To provide direct patient care and assistance inside the pressurized chamber (Correct answer)
- To monitor patients via closed-circuit television
- To manage gas mixing ratios for the chamber atmosphere
Correct answer: To provide direct patient care and assistance inside the pressurized chamber
A tender is a trained attendant who accompanies patients inside the multiplace chamber to provide direct hands-on care.
Question 5: During HBO therapy, a patient reports a sudden onset of tunnel vision and anxiety. These signs are MOST consistent with which complication?
- Carbon monoxide toxicity
- Oxygen toxicity (CNS) (Correct answer)
- Nitrogen narcosis
- Arterial gas embolism
Correct answer: Oxygen toxicity (CNS)
Tunnel vision, anxiety, and other prodromal symptoms such as lip twitching are classic early signs of CNS oxygen toxicity during HBO therapy.
Question 6: When monitoring a diabetic patient receiving HBO therapy, which adverse effect is of GREATEST concern during the treatment session?
- Hypertension
- Hypoglycemia (Correct answer)
- Peripheral neuropathy exacerbation
- Elevated creatinine
Correct answer: Hypoglycemia
HBO therapy can lower blood glucose levels; diabetic patients are at risk for hypoglycemia during and after treatment.
Question 7: A monoplace chamber patient begins to exhibit lip twitching and facial muscle contractions during treatment at 2.0 ATA with 100% oxygen. The CORRECT immediate action is to:
- Reduce pressure to 1.5 ATA and continue oxygen
- Switch the patient to air breathing inside the chamber
- Terminate the treatment, decompress at standard rate, and prepare for seizure management (Correct answer)
- Increase pressure to abort the pre-seizure phase
Correct answer: Terminate the treatment, decompress at standard rate, and prepare for seizure management
Visible muscle twitching indicates impending oxygen seizure; the treatment must be terminated and decompression begun while preparing for seizure management.
CHT Patient Care & Monitoring in Hyperbaric Settings 2
A patient undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy suddenly becomes pale, diaphoretic, and reports feeling faint.
What is the FIRST action the CHT should take?