RT (CRT/RRT) study guide
RT (CRT/RRT) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
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) study guide has 5 sections and about 1,541 words.
01Patient Data: Gathering, Interpreting, and Avoiding Interpretation Traps
Data collection starts with chart review - history, medications, allergies, code status, prior pulmonary function - then interview and physical exam: inspection (accessory muscle use, cyanosis, clubbing), palpation (tactile fremitus, tracheal position), percussion, and auscultation (crackles, wheeze, absent sounds). Add vital signs and diagnostics: ABG, SpO2, capnography, CBC, chest radiograph, ECG, spirometry, and hemodynamics (CVP, PA pressure, cardiac output, SvO2).
299 words, about 1 min02Oxygen Supply and Therapy: Sources, Devices, and Delivery Math
Oxygen reaches the patient from compressed cylinders, liquid systems (1 L liquid ≈ 860 L gas), concentrators, or a wall pipeline at roughly 50 psig. A pressure-reducing regulator lowers cylinder pressure, and a Thorpe-tube flowmeter meters flow; read the ball at its center.
310 words, about 2 min03Bronchial Hygiene: Secretion Clearance Versus Lung Expansion
Bronchial hygiene has two separate aims: moving secretions out and keeping alveoli open. Secretion clearance uses postural drainage with percussion and vibration, high-frequency chest wall oscillation, PEP and oscillating-PEP devices (Flutter, Acapella), autogenic drainage, huff coughing, and suctioning.
290 words, about 1 min04Airway Management: Devices, Confirmation, and Sizing Rules
Basic management begins with positioning and manual maneuvers: head tilt–chin lift (trauma: jaw thrust) and suction. An oropharyngeal airway is sized from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe and is only for patients without a gag reflex; a nasopharyngeal airway suits the semiconscious patient but is avoided with basilar skull fracture or coagulopathy.
331 words, about 2 min05Mechanical Ventilation: Modes, Pressures, Alarms, and Weaning
Mechanical ventilation supports or replaces spontaneous breathing. Volume control delivers a set tidal volume; pressure control delivers a set pressure with a variable volume; SIMV blends mandatory and spontaneous breaths; pressure support augments spontaneous effort; CPAP provides PEEP alone.
311 words, about 2 min