Author Question: The therapist is about to administer a bronchodilator to a patient who is experiencing an asthma ... (Read 59 times)

casperchen82 · **on:** Jul 16, 2018

The therapist is about to administer a bronchodilator to a patient who is experiencing an asthma flare. Which of the following gases or gas mixtures offers the opportunity to deliver more of the bronchodilator through this patient's obstructed airways?

A. 100 oxygen
B. heliox
C. compressed air
D. nitric oxide

Question 2

Why should the therapist be concerned not to operate a small-volume nebulizer (SVN) at a flow greater than 10 L/min when administering a bronchodilator to a patient with asthma?

A. At flows greater than 10 L/min, the MMAD increases above 5 m.
B. Operating a SVN at flows greater than 10 L/min wastes a large amount of medication.
C. Using a flow of greater than 10 L/min would cause the pressure inside the SVN to increase, and create a hazard for the patient.
D. Delivering medication from a SVN with flows greater than 10 L/min is not a problem.

jsm54321 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 16, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
A. Incorrect response: See explanation B.
B. Correct response: A helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) is less dense than air. Theoretically, heliox has the capability to flow through partial obstructions with less of a velocity increase than air or 100 O2. Any time any gas flows through a partial obstruction, the velocity of the flow increases as the gas traverses the narrowing. However, with heliox, the velocity increase is less because helium is a less dense gas. Consequently, more of the heliox will flow through the partial obstruction to the area distal to that obstruction. The heliox is expected to deliver more of the bronchodilator throughout the lungs of the asthmatic patient.
C. Incorrect response: See explanation B.
D. Incorrect response: See explanation B.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
A. Incorrect response: See explanation B.
B. Correct response: Increasing flow to a nebulizer creates smaller particles, but shortens the duration of nebulization. At the same time, the increased flow produces the most medication waste because nebulization is continuous and occurs throughout the respiratory cycle.
C. Incorrect response: See explanation B.
D. Incorrect response: See explanation B.