Therapist Multiple-Choice Test Bank |
Complete Questions & Answers Graded A+
100% Verified (2026)
• A premature 3-week-old infant is receiving 1 L/min
of O via a nasal cannula and has a PaO of 43 torr22
and a PaCO2 of 40 torr. The respiratory therapist should recommend
which of the following?
A. Increase the cannula flow to 2 L/min.
B. Intubate and institute mechanical ventilation
C. Initiate CPAP of 4 cm H2O and 50% O2
D. Increase the cannula flow to 5 L/min. -✓✓A, A PaO2 of 43 torr
represents hypoxemia. The normal PaO2 for an infant is 50-70 torr.
Increasing the cannula flow by 1 L/min is the most appropriate choice to
return the PaO2 to normal. With a normal PaCO2 of 40 torr, mechanical
ventilation is not indicated. (Analysis)
• what is normal PaO2 for infant ? -✓✓50-70 torr.
• A patient arrives in the emergency department after being pulled from
a burning house. The respiratory therapist should recommend obtaining
which of the following measurements to best determine the sever- ity of
the patient's smoke inhalation?
A. SpO2
B. HbCO
C. PaO2
D. Hb -✓✓B, To best determine the severity of smoke inhalation, an
HbCO level should be determined with a co-oximeter. The SpO2 value
,should never be evaluated on a patient suspected of CO poisoning
because a pulse oximeter is not capable of determining what is bound to
hemoglobin.
Pulse oximeters work on the principle of spectrophotometry where
lightweight probes direct filtered light of specific wavelengths through
the skin or digit. The light absorbed differs for saturated and desaturated
blood, whether it's saturated with oxygen or a combination of oxygen
and carbon monoxide. Therefore the reading will be erroneously high
when HbCO is present. (Analysis)
• To best determine the severity of smoke inhalation, an HbCO level
should be determined with ? -✓✓co-oximeter
• The physician has ordered O2 to be administered to an active 3-year-
old with an SpO2 of 86%. Which of the following delivery devices
would you recommend for this patient?
A. 1- to 2-L nasal cannula
B. Air-entrainment mask
C. Simple O2 mask
D.O2 hood -✓✓A, An active 3-year-old generally tolerates a cannula
much better than any kind of mask and is too large for an O2hood.
(Application)
• The ability of the patient to follow instructions would be indicated by
which of the following?
A. Orientation to person
B. Performance of tasks when asked
C. Ability to feed himself
D. Awareness of time -✓✓B, If the patient is able to perform simple
tasks when asked, this best determines his or her ability to follow
,instructions. This is important before administering an incentive
spirometry or IPPB treatment, which requires the patient to be able to
follow instructions well or the treatment will not be effective. (Recall)
• If the patient is able to perform simple tasks when asked, this best
determines his or her ability to follow instructions. This is important
before administering an? -✓✓incentive spirometry or IPPB treatment,
which requires the patient to be able to follow instructions well or the
treatment will not be effective. (Recall)
• You suspect a patient may have a pulmonary embolism. Which of the
following would be the most appropriate recommendation for diagnosis
of this condition?
A. Bronchoscopy
B. V/Q lung scan
C. Coagulation studies
D. Shunt study -✓✓B, The best diagnostic test to determine whether a
pulmonary embolism is present is the V/Q lung scan. (Application)
• To most effectively increase a sedated, paralyzed patient's alveolar
minute ventilation while the patient is on volume-controlled ventilation
in the assist-control mode, you would recommend increasing which of
the following?
A. PEEP
B. Inspiratory flow
C. VT
D. Ventilator rate -✓✓C
Alveolar minute ventilation = (VT - VD) × respiratory rate
It represents the volume actually reaching the alveoli per minute. It takes
into account anatomic dead space (VD), which is approximately 1 mL/lb
, of body weight. Anatomic VD is that portion of the airway where no gas
exchange occurs. If a patient's alveolar minute ventilation is to be
increased, the VT must be increased. If only the ventilator rate is
increased, the same VT is delivered, even though the minute ventilation
(VT × RR) increases. (Recall)
• what is the formula for alveolar minute ventilation ? -✓✓(VT - VD) ×
respiratory rate
• Failure to hyperoxygenate a patient on a ventilator before ET
suctioning may result in
A. Hypoxemia
B. Hypocapnia
C. Bradycardia
D. Hypertension -✓✓A, It is important during ET suctioning that the
PaO2 be maintained within a normal range. This requires increasing the
oxygen percentage during the procedure. Failure to hyperoxygenate may
cause hypoxemia, resulting in cardiac arrhythmias. Bradycardia may
occur as a result of vagal stimulation. (Application)
• while ET suctioning , Failure to hyperoxygenate may cause
hypoxemia, resulting in ? -✓✓cardiac arrhythmias
• while ET suctioning a pt, Bradycardia may occur as a result of ? -
✓✓vagal stimulation
• The most reliable method of determining whether the lungs of a patient
receiving mechanical ventila- tion are getting stiffer and harder to
ventilate is by measuring the
Complete Questions & Answers Graded A+
100% Verified (2026)
• A premature 3-week-old infant is receiving 1 L/min
of O via a nasal cannula and has a PaO of 43 torr22
and a PaCO2 of 40 torr. The respiratory therapist should recommend
which of the following?
A. Increase the cannula flow to 2 L/min.
B. Intubate and institute mechanical ventilation
C. Initiate CPAP of 4 cm H2O and 50% O2
D. Increase the cannula flow to 5 L/min. -✓✓A, A PaO2 of 43 torr
represents hypoxemia. The normal PaO2 for an infant is 50-70 torr.
Increasing the cannula flow by 1 L/min is the most appropriate choice to
return the PaO2 to normal. With a normal PaCO2 of 40 torr, mechanical
ventilation is not indicated. (Analysis)
• what is normal PaO2 for infant ? -✓✓50-70 torr.
• A patient arrives in the emergency department after being pulled from
a burning house. The respiratory therapist should recommend obtaining
which of the following measurements to best determine the sever- ity of
the patient's smoke inhalation?
A. SpO2
B. HbCO
C. PaO2
D. Hb -✓✓B, To best determine the severity of smoke inhalation, an
HbCO level should be determined with a co-oximeter. The SpO2 value
,should never be evaluated on a patient suspected of CO poisoning
because a pulse oximeter is not capable of determining what is bound to
hemoglobin.
Pulse oximeters work on the principle of spectrophotometry where
lightweight probes direct filtered light of specific wavelengths through
the skin or digit. The light absorbed differs for saturated and desaturated
blood, whether it's saturated with oxygen or a combination of oxygen
and carbon monoxide. Therefore the reading will be erroneously high
when HbCO is present. (Analysis)
• To best determine the severity of smoke inhalation, an HbCO level
should be determined with ? -✓✓co-oximeter
• The physician has ordered O2 to be administered to an active 3-year-
old with an SpO2 of 86%. Which of the following delivery devices
would you recommend for this patient?
A. 1- to 2-L nasal cannula
B. Air-entrainment mask
C. Simple O2 mask
D.O2 hood -✓✓A, An active 3-year-old generally tolerates a cannula
much better than any kind of mask and is too large for an O2hood.
(Application)
• The ability of the patient to follow instructions would be indicated by
which of the following?
A. Orientation to person
B. Performance of tasks when asked
C. Ability to feed himself
D. Awareness of time -✓✓B, If the patient is able to perform simple
tasks when asked, this best determines his or her ability to follow
,instructions. This is important before administering an incentive
spirometry or IPPB treatment, which requires the patient to be able to
follow instructions well or the treatment will not be effective. (Recall)
• If the patient is able to perform simple tasks when asked, this best
determines his or her ability to follow instructions. This is important
before administering an? -✓✓incentive spirometry or IPPB treatment,
which requires the patient to be able to follow instructions well or the
treatment will not be effective. (Recall)
• You suspect a patient may have a pulmonary embolism. Which of the
following would be the most appropriate recommendation for diagnosis
of this condition?
A. Bronchoscopy
B. V/Q lung scan
C. Coagulation studies
D. Shunt study -✓✓B, The best diagnostic test to determine whether a
pulmonary embolism is present is the V/Q lung scan. (Application)
• To most effectively increase a sedated, paralyzed patient's alveolar
minute ventilation while the patient is on volume-controlled ventilation
in the assist-control mode, you would recommend increasing which of
the following?
A. PEEP
B. Inspiratory flow
C. VT
D. Ventilator rate -✓✓C
Alveolar minute ventilation = (VT - VD) × respiratory rate
It represents the volume actually reaching the alveoli per minute. It takes
into account anatomic dead space (VD), which is approximately 1 mL/lb
, of body weight. Anatomic VD is that portion of the airway where no gas
exchange occurs. If a patient's alveolar minute ventilation is to be
increased, the VT must be increased. If only the ventilator rate is
increased, the same VT is delivered, even though the minute ventilation
(VT × RR) increases. (Recall)
• what is the formula for alveolar minute ventilation ? -✓✓(VT - VD) ×
respiratory rate
• Failure to hyperoxygenate a patient on a ventilator before ET
suctioning may result in
A. Hypoxemia
B. Hypocapnia
C. Bradycardia
D. Hypertension -✓✓A, It is important during ET suctioning that the
PaO2 be maintained within a normal range. This requires increasing the
oxygen percentage during the procedure. Failure to hyperoxygenate may
cause hypoxemia, resulting in cardiac arrhythmias. Bradycardia may
occur as a result of vagal stimulation. (Application)
• while ET suctioning , Failure to hyperoxygenate may cause
hypoxemia, resulting in ? -✓✓cardiac arrhythmias
• while ET suctioning a pt, Bradycardia may occur as a result of ? -
✓✓vagal stimulation
• The most reliable method of determining whether the lungs of a patient
receiving mechanical ventila- tion are getting stiffer and harder to
ventilate is by measuring the
