An otherwise healthy 19-year-old male is currently intubated and ...

[nummyann]

An otherwise healthy 19-year-old male is currently intubated and being mechanically ventilated after a motorcycle accident in which he sustained a closed head injury and multiple rib fractures.
 
  Before the patient is taken to the operating room for cranial surgery, the respiratory therapist no-tices that he has jugular vein distention. The most likely cause of this problem is which of the following?
  a. Increased cardiac output
  b. Decreased ventricular preload
  c. Increased intracranial pressure
  d. Decreased systemic vascular resistance

Question 2

Malnutrition during mechanical ventilation can cause which of the following?
 
  a. Increased oxygen consumption
  b. Increased carbon dioxide production
  c. Increased work of breathing
  d. Increased spontaneous ventilation

[kthug]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Reduced venous return from the head increases the ICP; this can be caused by positive pressure ventilation and/or, in this case, the head trauma. Increased ICP can be observed clinically by an increase in jugular vein distention.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Malnutrition alters a patient's ability to respond effectively to infection. It also impairs wound healing and severely reduces the ability to maintain spontaneous ventilation because the respira-tory muscles are weakened.

[nummyann]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[amcvicar]

Great answer, keep it coming