Respiratory Emergencies Flashcards
7 cards from real CPEN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Respiratory Emergencies flashcards as text
A neonate born at 28 weeks gestation requires surfactant therapy. The PRIMARY purpose of surfactant is to:
Answer: Decrease alveolar surface tension to prevent collapse
Surfactant reduces alveolar surface tension, preventing alveolar collapse at end-expiration in premature infants with surfactant deficiency (RDS).
Which combination of findings is MOST consistent with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in a child?
Answer: Normal SpO2, headache, altered mental status
Pulse oximetry cannot distinguish carboxyhemoglobin from oxyhemoglobin, so SpO2 reads falsely normal despite significant CO poisoning causing neurological symptoms.
A 6-year-old with a history of a congenital heart defect presents with a sudden respiratory emergency. Which finding suggests pulmonary hypertensive crisis?
Answer: Sudden cyanosis, bradycardia, and right heart failure signs
Pulmonary hypertensive crisis presents with sudden severe cyanosis, bradycardia, and signs of acute right heart failure due to massive rise in pulmonary vascular resistance.
When using a non-rebreather mask for a pediatric patient, what minimum flow rate is required to keep the reservoir bag inflated?
Answer: 10–15 L/min
A non-rebreather mask requires 10–15 L/min flow rate to maintain reservoir bag inflation and deliver approximately 95% FiO2.
A child presents with subcutaneous emphysema in the neck, absent breath sounds on the left, and tracheal deviation to the right. These findings indicate:
Answer: Left tension pneumothorax
Left tension pneumothorax causes absent breath sounds on the left, tracheal deviation away from the affected side (to the right), and can cause subcutaneous emphysema.
Which ventilator setting change would BEST address auto-PEEP (breath stacking) in an intubated child with severe asthma?
Answer: Decrease respiratory rate to allow longer expiratory time
Auto-PEEP in asthma is caused by incomplete exhalation; decreasing respiratory rate lengthens expiratory time and allows trapped air to escape.
A 3-year-old ingests a button battery and now presents with drooling, stridor, and respiratory distress. The PRIORITY is:
Answer: Immediate endoscopy/removal as a surgical emergency
Button batteries lodged in the esophagus cause rapid liquefactive necrosis and airway compromise — immediate endoscopic removal is a surgical emergency.