Author Question: During an education session with the family of a ventilator-assisted individual who is being ... (Read 49 times)

Yolanda · **on:** Jul 16, 2018

During an education session with the family of a ventilator-assisted individual who is being pre-pared for discharge home, the respiratory therapist explains ventilator circuit/suction equipment disinfection.

Which of the following is an important instruction that should be part of this teaching?
a. A white vinegar/distilled water mix can be reused as a disinfectant solution.
b. Water for humidifiers can be taken di-rectly from the tap.
c. Suction catheters and plastic containers must be changed after 8 hours.
d. Medicare will reimburse for all the dis-posable supplies needed for the ventila-tor.

Question 2

A patient using a negative pressure ventilator is assessed by the respiratory therapist and found to have a blood pressure of 85/40 mm Hg and a heart rate of 130 beats/min and thready.

The physician orders compression stockings for the patient, but the clinical status is the same 24 hours after placement of the compression stockings. What is the most likely cause of this pa-tient's hypotension?
a. Diarrhea
b. Dehydration
c. Septicemia
d. Abdominal blood pooling

bimper21 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 16, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Suction catheters and the plastic containers must be changed after 8 hours of use. The white vin-egar/distilled water mix must be discarded and may not be reused. If tap water is to be used in the humidifier or as a diluent, it must be boiled for 30 minutes and stored in a sterile container in the refrigerator. Medicare does not reimburse for most disposable supplies or reimburses for only a limited number of disposable supplies.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Negative pressure ventilators can cause pooling of blood in the abdominal vasculature. This leads to a decrease in venous return to the heart and, subsequently, a reduction in cardiac output. The result is hypotension, especially if the patient is hypovolemic.