TMC Practice Exam A + B Questions and
Answers Graded A+
A 52 year-old post-operative cholecystectomy patient's breath sounds become more coarse upon
completion of postural drainage with percussion. The respiratory therapist should recommend:
A. Continuing the therapy until breath sounds improve.
B. administering dornase alpha.
C. administering albuterol therapy.
D. deep breathing and coughing to clear secretions. ✔✔D. deep breathing and coughing to clear
secretions.
See Patient Assessment
A healthy adult female can exhale what portion of her forced vital capacity in the first second?
✔✔70%
Following cardiac surgery, a 55 year-old patient has the following ABG results: pH 7.50, PaCO2
30 torr, PaO2 62 torr, HCO3 25 mEq/L, SaO2 92%, HB 14 g/dL, BE +2. Venous blood gas
,results are pH 7.39, PvCO2 43 torr, PvO2 37 torr, and SvO2 66%. Calculate the patient's C(a-
v)O2. ✔✔5% volume
What value for the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is consistent with mild obstructive sleep apnea?
✔✔5 to 15
The respiratory therapist is asked to evaluate the presence of Auto-PEEP on a patient receiving
mechanical ventilation. In order to do this, what should the RT do? ✔✔Initiate an expiratory
hold just prior to the next ventilator-delivered breath
What do bronchial breath sounds heard over the lung periphery indicate? ✔✔lung consolidation
(pneumonia)
Rationale: should be vesicular in periphery
A 60 kg (132 lb) patient is mechanically ventilated at the following settings: VC, A/C; VT 500
mL, respiratory rate 12/min, FIO2 1.00 and 10 cm H2O PEEP. The patient's peak airway
pressure is 60 cm H2O and his SpO2 is 85%. A current chest x-ray shows diffuse bilateral
infiltrates. Which of the following is the most appropriate action in order to reduce peak airway
pressure?
, A. Increase the frequency.
B. Change to airway pressure release ventilation.
C. Decrease the inspiratory time.
D. Increase PEEP to 15 cm H2O. ✔✔B. Change to airway pressure release ventilation.
A 19-year-old patient is brought to the Emergency Department after taking a handful of pills.
The patient is obtunded but is making regular, sonorous respiratory efforts. Auscultation reveals
coarse rhonchi bilaterally. Which of the following should be done FIRST to assess this patient?
A. Obtain a sputum specimen.
B. Obtain an ABG.
C. Measure peak expiratory flow.
D. Determine the Glasgow Coma Score. ✔✔B. Obtain an ABG.
A young healthy adult with complaints of intermittent wheezing is seen in the pulmonary clinic.
A pre/post bronchodilator spirometry reveals a normal study with no reversibility. Which of the
following should the respiratory therapist recommend?
Answers Graded A+
A 52 year-old post-operative cholecystectomy patient's breath sounds become more coarse upon
completion of postural drainage with percussion. The respiratory therapist should recommend:
A. Continuing the therapy until breath sounds improve.
B. administering dornase alpha.
C. administering albuterol therapy.
D. deep breathing and coughing to clear secretions. ✔✔D. deep breathing and coughing to clear
secretions.
See Patient Assessment
A healthy adult female can exhale what portion of her forced vital capacity in the first second?
✔✔70%
Following cardiac surgery, a 55 year-old patient has the following ABG results: pH 7.50, PaCO2
30 torr, PaO2 62 torr, HCO3 25 mEq/L, SaO2 92%, HB 14 g/dL, BE +2. Venous blood gas
,results are pH 7.39, PvCO2 43 torr, PvO2 37 torr, and SvO2 66%. Calculate the patient's C(a-
v)O2. ✔✔5% volume
What value for the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is consistent with mild obstructive sleep apnea?
✔✔5 to 15
The respiratory therapist is asked to evaluate the presence of Auto-PEEP on a patient receiving
mechanical ventilation. In order to do this, what should the RT do? ✔✔Initiate an expiratory
hold just prior to the next ventilator-delivered breath
What do bronchial breath sounds heard over the lung periphery indicate? ✔✔lung consolidation
(pneumonia)
Rationale: should be vesicular in periphery
A 60 kg (132 lb) patient is mechanically ventilated at the following settings: VC, A/C; VT 500
mL, respiratory rate 12/min, FIO2 1.00 and 10 cm H2O PEEP. The patient's peak airway
pressure is 60 cm H2O and his SpO2 is 85%. A current chest x-ray shows diffuse bilateral
infiltrates. Which of the following is the most appropriate action in order to reduce peak airway
pressure?
, A. Increase the frequency.
B. Change to airway pressure release ventilation.
C. Decrease the inspiratory time.
D. Increase PEEP to 15 cm H2O. ✔✔B. Change to airway pressure release ventilation.
A 19-year-old patient is brought to the Emergency Department after taking a handful of pills.
The patient is obtunded but is making regular, sonorous respiratory efforts. Auscultation reveals
coarse rhonchi bilaterally. Which of the following should be done FIRST to assess this patient?
A. Obtain a sputum specimen.
B. Obtain an ABG.
C. Measure peak expiratory flow.
D. Determine the Glasgow Coma Score. ✔✔B. Obtain an ABG.
A young healthy adult with complaints of intermittent wheezing is seen in the pulmonary clinic.
A pre/post bronchodilator spirometry reveals a normal study with no reversibility. Which of the
following should the respiratory therapist recommend?
