NBRC SDS EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is the minimum and preferred sampling rate? - ANS Min 200Hz; Preferred 500Hz
Which respiratory equipment is used to measure apneas? - ANS Thermistor/thermocouple
What are some common troubleshooting issues for the thermistor? - ANS Warm the room,
remove fan, moisture on the sensor, battery needs to be changed
What is considered the gold standard for measuring respiratory effort? - ANS RIP belts
What equipment is used to measure RERAs and Hypopneas? - ANS nasal pressure transducer
(PTAF)
What is some common troubleshooting issues for the PTAF? - ANS rhinorrhea, position of
the sensor, mouthbreathing, LFF can cause a dampened waveform
Normal ETCO2 in mmHg and percent - ANS 30 torr and 3-5%
What are common issues that can affect the TCOM reading? - ANS skin thickness, anemia,
decreased perfusion
How do you calibrate the TCOM? - ANS with RA
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,What will happen to the readings if the TCOM has a leak? - ANS PO2 will increase to room
PO2, PCO2 will decrease to zero
The snore mic is used to detect what? - ANS Bruxism
What are the scores of Epworth Sleepiness scale? - ANS 0-5 low-normal daytime sleepiness
6-10 high-normal daytime sleepiness
11-12 Mild EDS
13-15 Moderate EDS
16+ Severe EDS
What does STOP-BANG stand for? - ANS Snoring?
Tired during the day?
Observed apneas
Pressure (HTN)?
BMI
Age (>50)
Neck size (males 17in/43cm; females 16in/41cm)
Gender (male)
What does answering yes to 2 or less questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS low risk for OSA
What does answering yes to 3-4 questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS Intermediate risk for OSA
What does answering yes to 5+ questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS High risk of OSA
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,What is Sundowning? - ANS When elderly patients get confused in the early evening
What is an important factor to consider when dealing with a patient with PTSD - ANS Ask
how is the best way to wake them up during the night if needed
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system - ANS fight or flight
what is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system - ANS controls smooth muscle
What is the pacemaker for circadian rhythm in the brain - ANS suprachiasmatic nucleus
What effect on sleep does a decrease in dopamine have? - ANS decrease sleep
If the distance between 2 R waves is between 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS Normal
If the distance between 2 R waves is less than 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS greater than 90bpm (tachycardia)
If the distance between 2 R waves is greater than 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS less than 60bpm (bradycardia)
What is the formula for estimating HR on ECG - ANS 300/(# of large blocks btwn R waves)
What are the causes and treatment of sinus tach - ANS hypoxemia, pain, stress
oxygen
What are common causes and treatment of sinus brady - ANS blood loss, infection of heart,
OSA
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, treat underlying cause
What are common treatments for PVCs - ANS oxygen, lidocaine
What is bigeminy - ANS PVC every other beat
Trigeminy - ANS PVC every 3rd beat
Couplet - ANS 2 PVCs in a row
What is the treatment for VTach with a pulse - ANS cardioversion
What is the treatment for VTach without a pulse - ANS defibrillation
Cardiac ischemia is indicated by - ANS depressed t waves
Cardiac injury is indicated by - ANS elevated ST segment
What can cause inverted t waves - ANS digitalis toxicity and hypokalemia
What causes spiked t waves - ANS hyperkalemia
This rhythm creates a series of identical p waves that take on a sawtooth appearance. -
ANS Atrial flutter
This rhythm occurs when multiple ectopic foci are firing almost continuously and produces an
irregular baseline with no visible p waves and irregular QRS complexes - ANS Atrial
fibrillation
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
ANSWERS
What is the minimum and preferred sampling rate? - ANS Min 200Hz; Preferred 500Hz
Which respiratory equipment is used to measure apneas? - ANS Thermistor/thermocouple
What are some common troubleshooting issues for the thermistor? - ANS Warm the room,
remove fan, moisture on the sensor, battery needs to be changed
What is considered the gold standard for measuring respiratory effort? - ANS RIP belts
What equipment is used to measure RERAs and Hypopneas? - ANS nasal pressure transducer
(PTAF)
What is some common troubleshooting issues for the PTAF? - ANS rhinorrhea, position of
the sensor, mouthbreathing, LFF can cause a dampened waveform
Normal ETCO2 in mmHg and percent - ANS 30 torr and 3-5%
What are common issues that can affect the TCOM reading? - ANS skin thickness, anemia,
decreased perfusion
How do you calibrate the TCOM? - ANS with RA
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,What will happen to the readings if the TCOM has a leak? - ANS PO2 will increase to room
PO2, PCO2 will decrease to zero
The snore mic is used to detect what? - ANS Bruxism
What are the scores of Epworth Sleepiness scale? - ANS 0-5 low-normal daytime sleepiness
6-10 high-normal daytime sleepiness
11-12 Mild EDS
13-15 Moderate EDS
16+ Severe EDS
What does STOP-BANG stand for? - ANS Snoring?
Tired during the day?
Observed apneas
Pressure (HTN)?
BMI
Age (>50)
Neck size (males 17in/43cm; females 16in/41cm)
Gender (male)
What does answering yes to 2 or less questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS low risk for OSA
What does answering yes to 3-4 questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS Intermediate risk for OSA
What does answering yes to 5+ questions on the STOP BANG questionnaire suggest? -
ANS High risk of OSA
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,What is Sundowning? - ANS When elderly patients get confused in the early evening
What is an important factor to consider when dealing with a patient with PTSD - ANS Ask
how is the best way to wake them up during the night if needed
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system - ANS fight or flight
what is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system - ANS controls smooth muscle
What is the pacemaker for circadian rhythm in the brain - ANS suprachiasmatic nucleus
What effect on sleep does a decrease in dopamine have? - ANS decrease sleep
If the distance between 2 R waves is between 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS Normal
If the distance between 2 R waves is less than 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS greater than 90bpm (tachycardia)
If the distance between 2 R waves is greater than 3-5 large blocks, the rate is ______ -
ANS less than 60bpm (bradycardia)
What is the formula for estimating HR on ECG - ANS 300/(# of large blocks btwn R waves)
What are the causes and treatment of sinus tach - ANS hypoxemia, pain, stress
oxygen
What are common causes and treatment of sinus brady - ANS blood loss, infection of heart,
OSA
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, treat underlying cause
What are common treatments for PVCs - ANS oxygen, lidocaine
What is bigeminy - ANS PVC every other beat
Trigeminy - ANS PVC every 3rd beat
Couplet - ANS 2 PVCs in a row
What is the treatment for VTach with a pulse - ANS cardioversion
What is the treatment for VTach without a pulse - ANS defibrillation
Cardiac ischemia is indicated by - ANS depressed t waves
Cardiac injury is indicated by - ANS elevated ST segment
What can cause inverted t waves - ANS digitalis toxicity and hypokalemia
What causes spiked t waves - ANS hyperkalemia
This rhythm creates a series of identical p waves that take on a sawtooth appearance. -
ANS Atrial flutter
This rhythm occurs when multiple ectopic foci are firing almost continuously and produces an
irregular baseline with no visible p waves and irregular QRS complexes - ANS Atrial
fibrillation
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
