Author Question: Hypercapnic respiratory failure due to increased work of breathing will be caused by which of the ... (Read 31 times)

eruditmonkey@yahoo.com · **on:** Jul 16, 2018

Hypercapnic respiratory failure due to increased work of breathing will be caused by which of the following?

a. Drug overdose
b. Myasthenia gravis
c. Asthma exacerbation
d. Pulmonary embolism

Question 2

A patient with inadequate oxygenation of the brain may display which of the following condi-tions? 1. Confusion 2. Excitement 3. Somnolence 4. Compliance

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 1 and 3 only
c. 2 and 4 only
d. 3 and 4 only

janeli · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 16, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
An asthma exacerbation is characterized by bronchoconstriction due to bronchospasm, edema, and inflammation of the airways. This increases the amount of work a patient must do to over-come the increase in airway resistance, thereby increasing the patient's work of breathing. A drug overdose causes hypercapnic respiratory failure but because of a reduced drive to breathe. Myas-thenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease that may paralyze the ventilatory muscles, causing a pa-tient to not be able to move air. A pulmonary embolism would increase dead space by blocking off perfusion to a part of the lung. This would cause acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Confusion and somnolence are neurological findings with severe hypoxemia, which shows that the hypoxemia has affected the patient's brain. The brain requires approximately 3.3 mL of oxy-gen per 100 grams of brain tissue per minute. Initially, the body responds to lowered blood oxy-gen by redirecting blood to the brain and increasing cerebral blood flow. Blood flow may in-crease up to twice the normal flow but no more. If the increased blood flow is sufficient to sup-ply the brain's oxygen needs, then no symptoms will result. However, if blood flow cannot be increased or if doubled blood flow does not correct the problem, symptoms of cerebral hypoxia will begin to appear. These symptoms include restlessness, disorientation, headaches, lassitude, somnolence, confusion, delirium, blurred vision, etc.