The RT Performs a Patient-Ventilator System Check on a 24-Year-Old,5-Foot,10-Inch

question 11

Multiple Choice

The RT performs a patient-ventilator system check on a 24-year-old,5-foot,10-inch male patient who has been intubated because of a drug overdose.The RT notices what appears to be swelling around the patient's upper anterior chest and neck area.Palpation elicits a tissue paper feeling.The ventilator settings are: VC-CMV,rate 12/min with no patient assist,V_T 900 mL,PEEP 5 cm H₂O,F_IO₂ 0.4,T_I 1.2 sec.The most appropriate action for the RT to take is which of the following?

• A) Increase the set flow rate.
• B) Decrease the set tidal volume.
• C) Reduce the set respiratory rate.
• D) Perform emergency needle decompression.

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Definitions:

Primary Circular Reactions

Repetitive actions that serve as the basic building blocks of sensorimotor intelligence in infants, according to Piaget.

Reflex Schemas

These are innate, automatic responses to specific stimuli that are observable in newborns, forming the basis for later complex behaviors.

Inhibit Action

The process of restraining or hindering oneself or others from taking certain actions.

Body Proportions

The relative measurements and distribution of body parts, which change significantly with age, especially during growth spurts.