Critical Care Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real SAUDI PROMETRIC NURSING practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Critical Care Nursing flashcards as text
A nurse assesses a patient in the ICU and notes a central venous pressure (CVP) of 2 mmHg. What does this finding most likely indicate?
Answer: Hypovolemia
A CVP below the normal range of 2–8 mmHg indicates decreased venous return, which is consistent with hypovolemia.
Which arterial blood gas result indicates uncompensated metabolic acidosis?
Answer: pH 7.30, PaCO2 38 mmHg, HCO3 16 mEq/L
Uncompensated metabolic acidosis is characterized by a low pH and low HCO3 with a normal PaCO2, indicating a primary metabolic problem without respiratory compensation.
A mechanically ventilated patient develops sudden hypotension, absent breath sounds on the left side, and tracheal deviation to the right. The nurse should first suspect:
Answer: Tension pneumothorax
Tension pneumothorax presents with tracheal deviation away from the affected side, unilateral absent breath sounds, and hemodynamic instability requiring immediate needle decompression.
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate for a patient with increased intracranial pressure (ICP)?
Answer: Elevate head of bed to 30–45 degrees
Elevating the head of the bed 30–45 degrees promotes cerebral venous drainage, which reduces intracranial pressure.
A patient in the ICU develops sudden, regular tachycardia at 180 bpm with narrow QRS complexes. What is the first-line management for this stable patient?
Answer: Vagal maneuvers
Vagal maneuvers (e.g., Valsalva, carotid sinus massage) are the first-line treatment for stable supraventricular tachycardia as they can slow or terminate the re-entrant circuit.
A malnourished patient receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) develops confusion, muscle cramps, and a phosphate level of 0.4 mmol/L. The nurse recognizes this as:
Answer: Refeeding syndrome
Refeeding syndrome occurs in malnourished patients receiving aggressive nutrition support and is characterized by severe hypophosphatemia, causing neurological and muscular complications.
A patient who has been on mechanical ventilation for 7 days develops a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest X-ray, fever (38.6°C), purulent sputum, and leukocytosis. The nurse recognizes this as:
Answer: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
VAP is diagnosed by a new radiographic infiltrate appearing after ≥48 hours of mechanical ventilation combined with clinical signs of infection such as fever, purulent secretions, and leukocytosis.
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