A patient is intubated and set up on VC-CMV. After stabilization ...

[B]

A patient is intubated and set up on VC-CMV. After stabilization and suctioning of the ET tube, the peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) is 25 cm H2O.
 
  The low pressure and high pressure alarms should be set at _____________ cm H2O and _____________ cm H2O, respectively.
  a. 5; 35
  b. 10; 30
  c. 12; 40
  d. 15; 35

Question 2

The respiratory therapist enters the room of an intubated and mechanically ventilated patient to find the high pressure, low exhaled volume, and low VE alarms active. This situation could be caused by which of the following?
 
  a. Improper flow rate and flow pattern
  b. Migration of the ET into the upper airway
  c. The patient is out of synchrony with the ventilator.
  d. The ventilator has an internal malfunction.

[lou]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
The low pressure alarm should be set 5-10 cm H2O below the PIP, and the high pressure alarm should be set about 10 cm H2O above the PIP. Therefore, with a PIP of 25 cm H2O, the low pressure alarm should be set at 15-20 cm H2O and the high pressure alarm at 35 cm H2O.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
A high pressure alarm may also be triggered when a patient actively breathes out of synchrony with the ventilator. The PIP rises if the patient actively exhales while the ventilator is in the in-spiratory phase, and this can activate the high pressure alarm.

[B]

Excellent

[at]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it