Risk Assessment & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CRE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Assessment & Management flashcards as text
A CF patient's FEV1 has declined from 72% to 55% predicted over 12 months. Which risk management referral is now most urgently indicated based on this trajectory?
Answer: Lung transplant evaluation center
FEV1 declining below 60% predicted in cystic fibrosis is a threshold that triggers evaluation for lung transplantation per CF Foundation guidelines.
When stratifying aspiration risk in a ventilator-dependent patient, which positioning intervention has the strongest evidence for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)?
Answer: Head-of-bed elevation to 30–45 degrees
Elevating the head of the bed to 30–45 degrees reduces gastric reflux and aspiration, which is a core VAP prevention bundle element.
A respiratory educator reviews a sleep study report showing AHI of 25 events per hour. According to standard classification, this represents which severity of obstructive sleep apnea?
Answer: Moderate OSA (AHI 15–29)
An AHI between 15 and 29 events per hour classifies as moderate obstructive sleep apnea by standard polysomnographic criteria.
A patient with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a current smoker. What is the relative risk of accelerated emphysema in this patient compared to a non-smoking AATD patient?
Answer: Dramatically increased — smoking multiplies the rate of alveolar destruction
Smoking in AATD patients synergistically accelerates protease-mediated alveolar destruction, dramatically compressing the timeline to severe emphysema.
A respiratory educator is performing a medication adherence assessment and suspects a patient is not using their dry powder inhaler (DPI) correctly. Which technique error most commonly reduces drug delivery to the lower airways?
Answer: Inhaling too fast with a DPI
DPIs require a fast, forceful inspiratory effort to disaggregate the powder; slow inhalation results in drug deposition in the oropharynx rather than the lungs.
During an asthma risk assessment, a teenager reports using their albuterol inhaler before every gym class to prevent symptoms. How should the educator classify this pattern?
Answer: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction requiring pre-treatment evaluation and possible controller step-up
Consistent need for pre-exercise bronchodilation indicates exercise-induced bronchoconstriction that warrants a formal evaluation and consideration of controller therapy.
A respiratory educator is assessing a post-COVID patient's 6-minute walk test. The patient desaturates to 88% SpO2 during the walk. Which risk management action is most appropriate?
Answer: Stop the test, apply supplemental oxygen, and refer for further evaluation of exertional hypoxemia
Desaturation below 88% during a 6MWT is a stopping criterion; supplemental oxygen and evaluation for ambulatory oxygen therapy are the appropriate next steps.