Mixed Deck — All RRT Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real RRT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All RRT Topics flashcards as text
What does "IDDM" stand for in the context of diabetes?
Answer: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
IDDM stands for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, which is an older term for Type 1 Diabetes. This condition is characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin, a hormone necessary for glucose uptake by cells. Individuals with IDDM require daily insulin injections to manage their blood sugar levels.
Which type of patients might require continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)?
Answer: Patients with sleep apnea
CPAP is commonly used to treat sleep apnea by providing continuous airflow to keep the airway open.
Auto-PEEP (intrinsic PEEP) is MOST commonly caused by:
Answer: Insufficient expiratory time leading to air trapping
Auto-PEEP results from incomplete exhalation due to insufficient expiratory time, causing air trapping and dynamic hyperinflation.
A patient has the following ABG: pH 7.35, PaCO2 55 mmHg, HCO3 30 mEq/L. This result is MOST consistent with:
Answer: Chronic respiratory acidosis (compensated)
A near-normal pH with elevated PaCO2 and elevated HCO3 indicates chronic respiratory acidosis with full metabolic compensation (1 mEq/L HCO3 rise per 10 mmHg PaCO2 rise).
Which pulse oximetry reading is MOST likely to be falsely elevated (overestimated) in a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning?
Answer: SpO2 by standard pulse oximetry
Standard pulse oximetry cannot distinguish oxyhemoglobin from carboxyhemoglobin, so SpO2 reads falsely high in CO poisoning; co-oximetry is required for accurate measurement.
Which medication is used to treat methemoglobinemia in patients with toxic oxygen levels?
Answer: Methylene blue
Methylene blue reduces methemoglobin back to functional hemoglobin by acting as an electron donor via the NADPH-dependent pathway.
What is the primary purpose of mechanical ventilation?
Answer: Supporting breathing
Mechanical ventilation assists patients who are unable to breathe effectively on their own.
What is the recommended head-of-bed elevation to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) risk?
Answer: 30–45 degrees
Elevating the head of bed 30–45 degrees reduces aspiration of gastric contents and oropharyngeal secretions, decreasing VAP risk.
When performing a slow vital capacity (SVC) maneuver, the patient is instructed to:
Answer: Inhale maximally then exhale slowly and completely
SVC requires a maximal inhalation followed by a slow, complete exhalation without forced effort, minimizing dynamic airway compression.
A patient's spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is terminated after 15 minutes due to RR of 36 and SpO2 of 88%. What is the BEST next step?
Answer: Resume full ventilatory support and reassess in 24 hours
A failed SBT warrants returning to full support; 24 hours of recovery is recommended before the next attempt.
Which oxygen delivery device provides the MOST precise and consistent FiO2 regardless of the patient's breathing pattern?
Answer: Venturi mask
The Venturi (air-entrainment) mask uses fixed jet orifices to entrain a precise air-to-oxygen ratio, delivering consistent FiO2 independent of inspiratory flow.
A newborn has Apgar scores of 3 at 1 minute and 5 at 5 minutes. The FIRST priority intervention is:
Answer: Stimulate and open the airway with positive pressure ventilation if needed
Neonatal resuscitation begins with warmth, stimulation, and airway management; PPV is initiated if HR <100 or inadequate breathing.
Which condition is characterized by a diffusion defect rather than a V/Q mismatch as the primary mechanism of hypoxemia?
Answer: Pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis thickens the alveolar-capillary membrane, impairing oxygen diffusion across it.
Which parameter BEST reflects a patient's alveolar ventilation?
Answer: PaCO2
PaCO2 is inversely proportional to alveolar ventilation and is the gold standard measure of the adequacy of ventilation.
The Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale is specifically used to:
Answer: Quantify the degree of breathlessness in relation to activities of daily living
The mMRC scale grades dyspnea from 0 (no breathlessness) to 4 (too breathless to leave the house), quantifying functional disability caused by shortness of breath.
Which of the following devices might a respiratory therapist use to deliver a precise amount of oxygen to a patient?
Answer: Venturi mask
A Venturi mask delivers a specific oxygen concentration to a patient and is commonly used in respiratory therapy.
Total lung capacity (TLC) is defined as:
Answer: Total volume of air in the lungs at maximal inhalation
TLC is the sum of all lung volumes (RV + ERV + TV + IRV) and represents the maximum amount of air the lungs can hold.
A patient requires nitric oxide (iNO) therapy for pulmonary hypertension. The MOST important monitoring parameter specific to iNO administration is:
Answer: Methemoglobin levels
Inhaled nitric oxide oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen; methemoglobin levels must be monitored and kept below 5%.
What is the primary indication for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy?
Answer: Pulmonary arterial hypertension in neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure
Inhaled nitric oxide selectively dilates pulmonary vasculature, reducing pulmonary vascular resistance in neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure and PPHN.
Which parameter best reflects the adequacy of alveolar ventilation?
Answer: PaCO2
PaCO2 directly reflects CO2 elimination and is the gold-standard measure of alveolar ventilation adequacy.