A patient is being weaned from invasive mechanical ventilation using VC-IMV. The respiratory therapist reviews the following data from the past few hours

Time Set VT (mL) Spontaneous VT (mL) Set Rate (per min) Spontaneous Rate (per min)
0630 650 410 8 6
1020 650 400 6 10
1600 650 320 4 20
2200 650 250 2 32
What should the respiratory therapist recommend for this patient?
a. Switch the mode to VC-CMV.
b. Add and titrate pressure support.
c. Extubate and place the patient on NPPV.
d. Increase the set rate to 8 breaths/min.


ANS: B
The data demonstrate that as the set IMV was decreased, the patient's spontaneous respiratory rate increased and the spontaneous tidal volume decreased. This shows that the patient's work of breathing is excessive and most likely due to the resistance from the ventilator system, circuit, and artificial airway. Initiate pressure support and titrate the level to improve the spontaneous volume and decrease the spontaneous rate. Once the patient is stable, the pressure support may be weaned.

Health Professions

You might also like to view...

Your patient is a 42-year-old male who had surgery four years ago to remove his posterior pituitary gland because of a tumor. He stopped taking replacement hormones because they caused depression. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of the patient's noncompliance with hormone replacement therapy?

A) Hypoglycemia B) Hypertension C) Reduced ability to fight infection D) Dehydration

Health Professions

You are teaching an EMT class about the role of an EMS response to a terror attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A student asks you what constitutes a WMD. You should respond by stating that a WMD is any:

A) biological agent that will kill but not destroy property. B) weapon used to create fear and panic among the general public. C) agent that is used to cause indiscriminate death and destruction. D) agent that is intended to kill a specific segment of the population.

Health Professions

____________________ may result from multiple transfusions due to the citrate preservative binding serum calcium and is indicated by circumoral tingling and tremors.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Health Professions

The number 5 on the figure demonstrates ____. 



A. flexion
B. extension
C. abduction
D. adduction
E. dorsiflexion

Health Professions