RRT RRT Patient Assessment

Question 1

Which respiratory rate would be classified as tachypnea in an adult patient?

Accepted Answer

24 breaths/min

Answer

Tachypnea is defined as a respiratory rate exceeding 20 breaths per minute in adults, making 24 breaths/min the correct answer.

Question 2

Pulsus paradoxus during patient assessment is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A decrease in systolic BP >10 mmHg during normal inspiration

Answer

Pulsus paradoxus is an exaggerated decrease in systolic blood pressure greater than 10 mmHg during normal inspiration, commonly seen in cardiac tamponade and severe asthma.

Question 3

Which finding during inspection is the most classic sign of accessory muscle recruitment in a distressed patient?

Accepted Answer

Sternocleidomastoid muscle use during inspiration

Answer

Active use of the sternocleidomastoid muscles during inspiration is a hallmark sign of accessory muscle recruitment, indicating significantly increased work of breathing.

Question 4

A patient produces rusty-colored sputum during assessment. This finding is most classically associated with which condition?

Accepted Answer

Pneumococcal pneumonia

Answer

Rusty or prune-juice–colored sputum is a classic hallmark of pneumococcal (Streptococcus pneumoniae) pneumonia, caused by red blood cell breakdown products in the consolidated tissue.

Question 5

Which breathing pattern is characterized by cyclic, gradually increasing and then decreasing tidal volumes separated by periods of apnea?

Accepted Answer

Cheyne-Stokes breathing

Answer

Cheyne-Stokes breathing features a waxing and waning tidal volume with intervening apneic periods, often seen in severe heart failure or neurological injury.

RRT Exam Practice Test

RRT Exam Practice Test

RRT RRT Patient Assessment