NSG 229 Exam 1 STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS 2025-2026 EDITION.
What percentage of O2 is the air we breathe? - Answer 21%
What is pneumothorax? - Answer collapsed lung
What is a thoracentesis? - Answer The needle aspiration of pleural fluid or air from the
pleural space for diagnostics or pain management purposes.
What is orthopnea? - Answer difficulty breathing while lying down
What are pack-years? - Answer A way to measure the amount a person has smoked over a
long period of time. It is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per
day by the number of years the person has smoked. For example, 1 pack year is equal to
smoking 1 pack per day for 1 year, or 2 packs per day for half a year, and so on.
What is atelectasis? - Answer alveolar collapse
What is crepitus? - Answer Air trapped under the skin (subcutaneous emphysema) felt as a
crackling sensation beneath the fingertips.
What is surfactant? - Answer A fatty protein that lines the alveoli and reduces surface
tension
Respiratory assessment technique - Answer
What are adventitious breath sounds? - Answer It is abnormal breath sounds such as:
-Fine crackles
-Coarse crackles
-Wheezes
-Stridor
,Arterial blood gasses - Answer pH 7.35 - 7.45
PaO2 80 - 100
PaCO2 35 - 45
HCO3 22 - 28
O2Sat > 95%
pO2- 80-100
What is important to complete when a patient returns from diagnostic testing? - Answer A
focused respiratory assessment
Hypoxemia - Answer Hypoxemia—low levels of oxygen in the blood
Hypoxia - Answer deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues
What is the goal of oxygen therapy? - Answer Goal is to use lowest fraction of inspired
oxygen (FIO2) for acceptable blood oxygen level without causing harmful side effects
When should you use humidified oxygen? - Answer When the flow is over 4L
02 toxicity (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer prolonged exposure to high oxygen can damages
body tissue and functions
RETINA most vulnerable
Absorption atelectasis (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer nitrogen makes up 79% of room air
this amount is adequate for maintaining patent airways and alveoli, however, with high O2
delivery nitrogen is diluted causing alveoli collapse. Collapsed alveoli cause atelectasis (called
absorptive atelectasis) which is detected as crackles and decreased breath sounds.
Drying of mucous membranes (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer Anytime that O2 delivery is
higher than 4 L/min, humidity needs to be added to help prevent damage to tissue. When
patients have an artificial airway, like on the vent, they have a heated circuit that heats the
humidity.
, Low flow oxygen delivering systems: - Answer NC
Facemask
Nasal Cannula - Answer Flow rates of 1 to 6 L/min
O2 concentration of 24% to 44% (1 to 6 L/min)
Flow rate >6 L/min does not increase gas exchange because anatomical dead space is full
(structures too thick for gas exchange)
-More comfortable and easier to use long term.
Simple facemask: - Answer Delivers O2 up to 40% to 60% for short-term therapy
Minimum of 5 L/min to prevent rebreathing exhaled air
Ensure appropriate fit
Delivers 5-8 L/min or 40-60%
Non rebreather mask: - Answer Delivers highest O2 level (of the low-flow systems)
Can deliver FIO2 greater than 90%
Used for unstable clients who may require intubation
Ensure valves are patent and functional
Emergency go-to
Non-rebreathing mask:
Provide highest O2 level of this category and can deliver and FiO2 greater than 90% (depending
on patients breathing pattern)
Used on patients that are unstable and/or prior to intubation
1 way valve between mask and reservoir w/ 2 flaps over exhalation ports.
Valve allows patient to take in all needed O2 from bag
Flaps prevent RA from entering through exhalation flaps (this would dilute the O2
concentration)
RA 79% nitrogen, >O2 dilutes nitrogen.. But these patients requiring the above mask need O2
more..
Short term use only - HIGH levels of O2!
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS 2025-2026 EDITION.
What percentage of O2 is the air we breathe? - Answer 21%
What is pneumothorax? - Answer collapsed lung
What is a thoracentesis? - Answer The needle aspiration of pleural fluid or air from the
pleural space for diagnostics or pain management purposes.
What is orthopnea? - Answer difficulty breathing while lying down
What are pack-years? - Answer A way to measure the amount a person has smoked over a
long period of time. It is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per
day by the number of years the person has smoked. For example, 1 pack year is equal to
smoking 1 pack per day for 1 year, or 2 packs per day for half a year, and so on.
What is atelectasis? - Answer alveolar collapse
What is crepitus? - Answer Air trapped under the skin (subcutaneous emphysema) felt as a
crackling sensation beneath the fingertips.
What is surfactant? - Answer A fatty protein that lines the alveoli and reduces surface
tension
Respiratory assessment technique - Answer
What are adventitious breath sounds? - Answer It is abnormal breath sounds such as:
-Fine crackles
-Coarse crackles
-Wheezes
-Stridor
,Arterial blood gasses - Answer pH 7.35 - 7.45
PaO2 80 - 100
PaCO2 35 - 45
HCO3 22 - 28
O2Sat > 95%
pO2- 80-100
What is important to complete when a patient returns from diagnostic testing? - Answer A
focused respiratory assessment
Hypoxemia - Answer Hypoxemia—low levels of oxygen in the blood
Hypoxia - Answer deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues
What is the goal of oxygen therapy? - Answer Goal is to use lowest fraction of inspired
oxygen (FIO2) for acceptable blood oxygen level without causing harmful side effects
When should you use humidified oxygen? - Answer When the flow is over 4L
02 toxicity (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer prolonged exposure to high oxygen can damages
body tissue and functions
RETINA most vulnerable
Absorption atelectasis (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer nitrogen makes up 79% of room air
this amount is adequate for maintaining patent airways and alveoli, however, with high O2
delivery nitrogen is diluted causing alveoli collapse. Collapsed alveoli cause atelectasis (called
absorptive atelectasis) which is detected as crackles and decreased breath sounds.
Drying of mucous membranes (Risks of O2 Therapy) - Answer Anytime that O2 delivery is
higher than 4 L/min, humidity needs to be added to help prevent damage to tissue. When
patients have an artificial airway, like on the vent, they have a heated circuit that heats the
humidity.
, Low flow oxygen delivering systems: - Answer NC
Facemask
Nasal Cannula - Answer Flow rates of 1 to 6 L/min
O2 concentration of 24% to 44% (1 to 6 L/min)
Flow rate >6 L/min does not increase gas exchange because anatomical dead space is full
(structures too thick for gas exchange)
-More comfortable and easier to use long term.
Simple facemask: - Answer Delivers O2 up to 40% to 60% for short-term therapy
Minimum of 5 L/min to prevent rebreathing exhaled air
Ensure appropriate fit
Delivers 5-8 L/min or 40-60%
Non rebreather mask: - Answer Delivers highest O2 level (of the low-flow systems)
Can deliver FIO2 greater than 90%
Used for unstable clients who may require intubation
Ensure valves are patent and functional
Emergency go-to
Non-rebreathing mask:
Provide highest O2 level of this category and can deliver and FiO2 greater than 90% (depending
on patients breathing pattern)
Used on patients that are unstable and/or prior to intubation
1 way valve between mask and reservoir w/ 2 flaps over exhalation ports.
Valve allows patient to take in all needed O2 from bag
Flaps prevent RA from entering through exhalation flaps (this would dilute the O2
concentration)
RA 79% nitrogen, >O2 dilutes nitrogen.. But these patients requiring the above mask need O2
more..
Short term use only - HIGH levels of O2!
