ATI Critical Care Exam
Before PFT's how long should a patient refrain from smoking? Using an inhaler? -
Answer- smoking: 6-8 h
inhaler: 4-6 h
What test must you do before performing an arterial puncture? - Answer- Allen's test;
patency of the ulnar artery- if blood returns to hand in 15s, then the radial artery can be
used for the puncture
How long should one apply pressure after an arterial puncture? - Answer- 5 minutes (20
min if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy)
What are the normal ranges for ABG's?
(pH, PAO2, PACO2, HCO3, and SAO2) - Answer- pH: 7.35-7.45
PAO2: 80-100 mm Hg
PACO2: 35-45 mm Hg
HCO3: 21-28 mEq/L
SAO2: 95-100%
In what position should you place a patient if air embolism is expected? - Answer- left
side in trendelenburg
How long must a patient be NPO before a bronchoscopy? - Answer- 4-8 hr
What types of medications might one administer prior to a bronchoscopy? - Answer-
anxiolytics
atropine (to treat bradycardia)
viscous lidocaine
local anesthetic throat spray
What should you be monitoring a patient for after a bronchoscopy? - Answer- significant
fever (mild is ok up to 24 hrs after the procedure), productive cough, significant blood in
sputum (small amounts are to be expected), hypoxemia, laryngspasm
Prior to a thoracentesis what diagnostic procedure must be done? - Answer- CXR
What position should the patient be in for a thoracentesis? - Answer- sitting up over the
bedside table
What are possible complications of a thoracentesis? How do we tell patients to identify
pneumothorax? - Answer- mediastinal shifts