When a patient has a flail chest, what happens during the ventilatory cycle?
a. The I:E ratio becomes inverse.
b. Air leaks out through the flail area.
c. Air leaks in through the flail area.
d. Air is shunted from one lung to the other.
D
Because of the instability of the flail area, the ribs and lung tissue will move in the opposite direction than normal during a breath. This can cause air to be shunted from one lung to the other during the ventilatory cycle.
Health Professions
You might also like to view...
All of the following are classified as nondepolarizing agents except:
A) Pancuronium bromide. B) Succinylcholine chloride. C) Atacurium besylate D) Mivacurium chloride.
Health Professions
The optochin disk test is incubated at/in ________
A) 42°C, CO2. B) 35°C, CO2. C) 35°C, ambient air. D) 25°C, a capnophilic atmosphere.
Health Professions