Respiratory Care Study Guide Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering initial patient assessment, tracheostomy care, medication delivery systems, oxygen equipment, and Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) interpretation.

Patient Identification

The immediate action of using two identifiers upon entering a patient's room.

Reliable Respiratory Rate

Only provided by a mechanical ventilator; manual counting is necessary if monitor readings are inaccurate due to artifact.

Bronchi

Breathing sounds that indicate the presence of secretions in the larger airways.

Secretion Assessment Cadence

The specific order for describing secretions: Amount, Consistency, then Color (e.g., large amount of thick, yellow secretions).

Essential Tracheostomy Care Steps

Stock the room, change the inner cannula, change the tracheostomy gauze, suction the patient, and auscultate breath sounds.

Heated High Flow Indications

Used for patients with dry, retained secretions, difficulty clearing secretions, or mucus plugging confirmed by CXR or bronchoscopy.

Small Volume Nebulizer (SVN) Parameters

Medication volume of $3-5,mL$, duration of approximately $10$ minutes, and a flow rate of $8-10,L/min$.

Mucomyst (N-acetylcysteine) Administration Rule

Always administer with a bronchodilator as it can cause bronchospasm.

20% Mucomyst Concentration

$200,mg$ per $1,mL$ ($CC$).

10% Mucomyst Concentration

$100,mg$ per $1,mL$ ($CC$).

Incentive Spirometer (IS) Frequency

Performed $10$ times an hour while the patient is awake.

Incentive Spirometer Target Volume

At least $2-3$ times the tidal volume, or $10-15,mL/kg$.

Asthma Problem Threshold

Reading less than $50\%$ of predicted peak flow indicates a significant exacerbation.

10 and 1 Ratio

A continuous nebulizer mixture of $10,mg$ Albuterol and $1,mg$ Atrovent ($4$ packets Albuterol : $2$ packets Atrovent).

Mild Stridor Management

Delivered via Cool Mist (Aerosol Mask) with sterile water via large bore tubing to provide prolonged oxygen therapy.

Moderate Stridor Management

Administering Racemic Epinephrine ($11.25,mg$ per $0.5,mL$) via SVN for $8-10$ minutes at $8-10,L/min$.

High Flow Oxygen Devices

Devices that deliver a precise $FiO_2$ that is independent of the patient's ventilatory pattern.

Low Flow Oxygen Devices

Devices that deliver an approximate $FiO_2$ highly dependent on the patient's respiratory rate, tidal volume, and inspiratory flow.

Venti-Mask (Air Entrainment Mask)

A high flow device delivering an $FiO_2$ range of $24-50\%$, where the adapter determines the required liter flow.

Washout Effect

The process where high flow devices clear anatomical dead space with oxygen-rich gas to reduce $CO_2$ rebreathing.

Non-Rebreather Weaning

Removing one of the one-way valves to convert it to a partial rebreather; liter flow should not drop below the $2/3$ full reservoir bag mark.

Acapella

An Oscillatory Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) device also known as a Flutter or Aerobika.

Spacer Whistle

An audible signal from an MDI spacer indicating the patient is breathing in too fast.

Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI) Technique

Creating a tight seal and inhaling with a fast, forceful deep breath to pick up heavy particles.

Normal $pH$ Range

$$7.35 - 7.45$$

Normal $PaCO_2$ Range

$$35 - 45,mmHg$$

Normal $HCO_3$ Range

$$22 - 26,mEq/L$$

Mild Hypoxemia

$PaO_2$ between $60-79,mmHg$.

Moderate Hypoxemia

$PaO_2$ between $40-59,mmHg$.

Severe Hypoxemia

$PaO_2$ less than $40,mmHg$.

Fully Compensated ABG

The $pH$ is normal, but both the respiratory ($PaCO_2$) and metabolic ($HCO_3$) systems are abnormal.

Renal (Bicarb) System Response

A slow response to acid-base imbalances taking days, weeks, or months.

Acute on Chronic

A situation where a patient with a chronic, compensated condition acutely decompensates, such as a COPD patient with an infection.