Acute Respiratory Failure and Acute Respiratory Distress
Syndrome
1. When the nurse is explaining respiratory failure to the patient’s family,
what is the most accurate description to use?
a. The absence of effective ventilation
b. Any problem in which part of the airway is obstructed
c. An episode of acute hypoxemia caused by a lung problem
d. Inadequate gas exchange arising from problems with oxygenation or
ventilation
2. Which descriptions are characteristic of hypoxemic respiratory failure
(select all that
apply)?
a. Referred to as ventilatory failure
b. Main problem is inadequate O2 transfer
c. Risk of inadequate O2 saturation of hemoglobin exists
d. Body is unable to compensate for acidemia of increased partial pressure of
carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2)
e. Most often caused by ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch and shunt
f. Exists when partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) is less than
60 mm Hg, even when O2 is given at 60% or more
3. Which explanation is accurate when teaching the patient with an
intrapulmonary shunt about what is happening?
a. This occurs when an obstruction impairs the flow of blood to the ventilated
areas of the lung.
b. This occurs when blood passes through an anatomic channel in the heart
and bypasses the lungs.
c. This occurs when blood flows through the capillaries in the lungs without
taking part in gas exchange.
d. Gas exchange across the alveolar capillary interface is decreased by
thickened or damaged alveolar membranes.
4. When the V/Q lung scan results show a mismatch ratio that is greater than
1, which condition should be suspected?
a. Pain
, b. Atelectasis
c. Pulmonary embolus
d. Ventricular septal defect
5. Which physiologic mechanism of hypoxemia occurs with pulmonary
fibrosis?
a. Anatomic shunt
b. Diffusion limitation
c. Intrapulmonary shunt
d. V/Q mismatch ratio of less than 1
6. Which patient with the following manifestations is most likely to develop
hypercapnic respiratory failure?
a. Rapid, deep respirations in response to pneumonia
b. Slow, shallow respirations because of sedative overdose
c. Large airway resistance because of severe bronchospasm
d. Poorly ventilated areas of the lung due to pulmonary edema
7. Which arterial blood gas (ABG) results would indicate acute respiratory
failure in a patient with chronic lung disease?
a. PaO2 52 mm Hg, PaCO2 56 mm Hg, pH 7.4
b. PaO2 46 mm Hg, PaCO2 52 mm Hg, pH 7.36
c. PaO2 48 mm Hg, PaCO2 54 mm Hg, pH 7.38
d. PaO2 50 mm Hg, PaCO2 54 mm Hg, pH 7.28
8. The patient is being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with
hypercapnic respiratory failure. Which assessment findings should the nurse
expect (select all that apply)?
a. Cyanosis
b. Metabolic acidosis
c. Morning headache
d. Respiratory acidosis
e. Use of tripod position
f. Rapid, shallow respirations
9. Which assessment finding would lead the nurse to suspect the early onset
of hypoxemia?
a. Restlessness
b. Hypotension
c. Central cyanosis
d. Dysrhythmias
Syndrome
1. When the nurse is explaining respiratory failure to the patient’s family,
what is the most accurate description to use?
a. The absence of effective ventilation
b. Any problem in which part of the airway is obstructed
c. An episode of acute hypoxemia caused by a lung problem
d. Inadequate gas exchange arising from problems with oxygenation or
ventilation
2. Which descriptions are characteristic of hypoxemic respiratory failure
(select all that
apply)?
a. Referred to as ventilatory failure
b. Main problem is inadequate O2 transfer
c. Risk of inadequate O2 saturation of hemoglobin exists
d. Body is unable to compensate for acidemia of increased partial pressure of
carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2)
e. Most often caused by ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch and shunt
f. Exists when partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) is less than
60 mm Hg, even when O2 is given at 60% or more
3. Which explanation is accurate when teaching the patient with an
intrapulmonary shunt about what is happening?
a. This occurs when an obstruction impairs the flow of blood to the ventilated
areas of the lung.
b. This occurs when blood passes through an anatomic channel in the heart
and bypasses the lungs.
c. This occurs when blood flows through the capillaries in the lungs without
taking part in gas exchange.
d. Gas exchange across the alveolar capillary interface is decreased by
thickened or damaged alveolar membranes.
4. When the V/Q lung scan results show a mismatch ratio that is greater than
1, which condition should be suspected?
a. Pain
, b. Atelectasis
c. Pulmonary embolus
d. Ventricular septal defect
5. Which physiologic mechanism of hypoxemia occurs with pulmonary
fibrosis?
a. Anatomic shunt
b. Diffusion limitation
c. Intrapulmonary shunt
d. V/Q mismatch ratio of less than 1
6. Which patient with the following manifestations is most likely to develop
hypercapnic respiratory failure?
a. Rapid, deep respirations in response to pneumonia
b. Slow, shallow respirations because of sedative overdose
c. Large airway resistance because of severe bronchospasm
d. Poorly ventilated areas of the lung due to pulmonary edema
7. Which arterial blood gas (ABG) results would indicate acute respiratory
failure in a patient with chronic lung disease?
a. PaO2 52 mm Hg, PaCO2 56 mm Hg, pH 7.4
b. PaO2 46 mm Hg, PaCO2 52 mm Hg, pH 7.36
c. PaO2 48 mm Hg, PaCO2 54 mm Hg, pH 7.38
d. PaO2 50 mm Hg, PaCO2 54 mm Hg, pH 7.28
8. The patient is being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with
hypercapnic respiratory failure. Which assessment findings should the nurse
expect (select all that apply)?
a. Cyanosis
b. Metabolic acidosis
c. Morning headache
d. Respiratory acidosis
e. Use of tripod position
f. Rapid, shallow respirations
9. Which assessment finding would lead the nurse to suspect the early onset
of hypoxemia?
a. Restlessness
b. Hypotension
c. Central cyanosis
d. Dysrhythmias
