NBRC CRT case studies
NBRC CRT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential is awarded by the NBRC to candidates who pass the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination, which objectively measures the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice. It is aimed at graduates of accredited respiratory therapy education programs and at credentialed therapists pursuing RRT eligibility, and it matters well beyond the exam room: all 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure. The NBRC CRT case studies are 5 cases and about 3,262 words.
1Two Oximeters, One Patient: Which Saturation Do You Trust?
A 71-year-old woman with a 45-pack-year smoking history is admitted with an acute COPD exacerbation. She is alert and using accessory muscles.
646 words, about 3 min2High Peak Pressure With an Unchanged Plateau
A 63-year-old man is ventilated in volume-control mode after an open abdominal procedure: set tidal volume 500 mL, rate 14/min, PEEP 5 cm H2O, FIO2 0.40, high-pressure limit 40 cm H2O. Over 20 minutes the high-pressure alarm sounds repeatedly.
645 words, about 3 min3Severe Asthma: Oxygen, Drugs, and the Reassessment That Matters
A 19-year-old woman with a known history of asthma is brought to the emergency department. Respiratory rate 34/min, HR 132/min, SpO2 89% on room air, peak expiratory flow 160 L/min (her personal best is 520 L/min).
646 words, about 3 min4HME vs. Heated Humidifier in a Patient With Copious Secretions
A 58-year-old man has been intubated for five days after aspiration pneumonia. He is on volume-control ventilation at 550 mL, 16/min, PEEP 8 cm H2O, FIO2 0.45, minute ventilation about 11 L/min.
650 words, about 3 min5The Postoperative Patient Who Is Not Breathing Enough
A 58-year-old man is in the PACU 40 minutes after an open cholecystectomy. He has an IV morphine PCA and rates his pain 8/10.
675 words, about 3 min