Fracture of the sternum/ ribs

Question 1

you’d expect this patient to have what type of respirations?

Answer 1

shallow

Question 2

which ABG imbalance will they have?

Answer 2

respiratory acidosis

Question 3

for treatment, what kind of analgesics do we want to avoid?

Answer 3

narcotics because we don’t want to suppress their respirations anymore.

Question 4

how do you support the injured area?

Answer 4

with your hands, turn them on the side in order to limit movement to prevent more trauma

Question 5

when they get to the hospital, they’ll be on a ventilator. which setting will be used?

Answer 5

PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure)

Question 6

how does peep work?

Answer 6

on end expiration, the vent exerts pressure down into the the lungs to keep the alveoli open.

• it helps improve gas exchange, decreases work of breathing
• in this patient, peep expands the thorax and realign the ribs

Question 7

which ventilatory setting would be used for a patient who has pulmonary edema or obstructive sleep apnea?

Answer 7

BIPAP … patient can breathe on own too

Question 8

the CPAP setting is used for people who___

Answer 8

can breathe on their own; used a lot when weaning off ventilator

Question 9

anytime you see PEEP, CPAP, or pressure support on a ventilator, your priority nursing assessment is to check bilateral____. how often?

Answer 9

lung sounds Q2 hrs

Question 10

the #1 thing we are worried about when a patient is on a ventilator is___

Answer 10

pneumothorax … we could pop a lung