A Physician Is Using a Pressure Support Protocol to Wean

question 2

Multiple Choice

A physician is using a pressure support protocol to wean a patient off ventilatory support. The patient is now at a 5 cm H₂O pressure level and has a spontaneous respiratory rate of 21/min. Other cardiovascular and respiratory signs indicate that the patient remains stable. Which of the following actions would you recommend at this point?

• A) Switch the patient to 5 cm H₂O continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) through the endotracheal tube.
• B) Extubate the patient and provide supplemental O₂.
• C) Switch the patient to intermittent mandatory ventilation at a rate of 2/min.
• D) Decrease the pressure support level to 3 cm H₂O.

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Definitions:

Sensory Information

Data received by the senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell) that is then processed by the brain to understand and interact with the environment.

Spinal Cord

A long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column, and acts as the main pathway for information connecting the brain and peripheral nervous system.

Reflexes

Automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli that are designed to protect the body and maintain homeostasis.

Hot Stove

An analogy often used to describe the immediate, consistent, and impersonal consequence of touching a hot stove, likened to effective disciplinary action.