RTLE case studies
RTLE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Respiratory Therapy Licensure Examination (RTLE) is the entry-to-practice assessment that jurisdictions use to decide whether a graduate is ready to hold a respiratory therapist license. It is aimed at candidates who have finished an accredited respiratory therapy program and need to demonstrate, before a licensing board, that they can assess patients, operate equipment safely, and make sound clinical decisions without supervision. The exam is not a school final: items are written around patient scenarios, and you are usually asked for the single best next action rather than a definition. Content spans the whole scope of practice - cardiopulmonary anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology; equipment, medical gas therapy and airway management; invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation; patient assessment and monitoring; blood gas interpretation, pulmonary function testing and sleep studies; respiratory pharmacology and aerosol delivery; and neonatal and pediatric care. The RTLE case studies are 5 cases and about 2,702 words.
1Severe ARDS With an Elevated Driving Pressure
A 62-year-old man is in his second day of mechanical ventilation for severe community-acquired pneumonia. He is sedated and ventilated in volume-assist/control with a tidal volume of 420 mL (predicted body weight 70 kg), respiratory rate 26/min, PEEP 12 cm H2O, and FiO2 0.70.
656 words, about 3 min2CPAP Failure in a Very Preterm Infant With RDS
A 28-week, 1,100-g male infant is 6 hours old in the NICU. He was born by emergency cesarean delivery for fetal bradycardia.
532 words, about 3 min3Restrictive Spirometry, Low DLCO, and Bird Exposure
A 54-year-old never-smoker presents with 8 months of progressive exertional dyspnea and dry cough. Spirometry before bronchodilator: FEV1 1.50 L (50% predicted), FVC 1.90 L (55% predicted), FEV1/FVC 0.79.
512 words, about 3 min4Severe Asthma Exacerbation With a Deceptively Normal PaCO2
A 24-year-old woman with asthma presents after 2 days of a viral upper respiratory infection. She is sitting upright, speaking in short phrases, and using accessory muscles.
519 words, about 3 min5Smoke Inhalation With Progressive Upper Airway Edema
A 45-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after being rescued from a house fire. He has facial burns, singed nasal hairs, soot in the oropharynx, hoarseness, and inspiratory stridor.
483 words, about 2 min