RT (CRT/RRT) case studies
RT (CRT/RRT) · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) is the entry-level credential in respiratory care. Candidates earn it by passing the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination, a computer-based test delivered at PSI assessment centers. The RT (CRT/RRT) case studies are 5 cases and about 3,844 words.
1A Saturation That Does Not Match the Arterial Oxygen Tension
A 62-year-old man is 18 hours out from an elective total knee arthroplasty performed under spinal anesthesia with a supraglottic airway. Since surgery he has used an over-the-counter benzocaine throat spray every 1-2 hours for a sore throat.
783 words, about 4 min2Cylinder Math for a Five-Hour Trip Away From the Concentrator
R is a 70-year-old woman with severe COPD (FEV1 38% predicted) prescribed continuous home oxygen at 3 L/min by nasal cannula, 24 hours a day. She must attend a clinic appointment 75 minutes away by car; with waiting time, the return trip, and a 1-hour safety reserve, she will be off her stationary concentrator for about 5 hours.
736 words, about 4 min3Aggressive Chest Physiotherapy Ordered for Atelectasis With Scant Secretions
A 58-year-old man is on postoperative day 2 after three-vessel CABG through a median sternotomy. He is alert and hemodynamically stable (HR 92, BP 128/74 mmHg, afebrile), with SpO2 93% on 3 L/min nasal cannula.
771 words, about 4 min4Tracheostomy Tube Expelled on Day 4
A 47-year-old woman is on post-tracheotomy day 4 following prolonged intubation for viral pneumonia. She has an 8.0 mm cuffed tracheostomy tube, is breathing 40% oxygen by T-piece, and was alert with SpO2 95% ten minutes ago.
736 words, about 4 min5ARDS on Day 2 With Hypotension and Oliguria
A 48-year-old man (175 cm, 82 kg) is on day 2 of volume-control ventilation for influenza ARDS. Settings: VT 550 mL, RR 22, PEEP 14 cmH2O, FiO2 0.70, inspiratory flow 60 L/min.
818 words, about 4 min