Can anybody explain why the answer to this question is answer A?

My understanding with any respiration that the more one breathes the more CO2 is exhaled.

Am I missing something here?

The nurse precepting a new graduate is teaching about arterial blood gas interpretation of a mechanically ventilated client. Which of the following statements by the resident indicates understanding of ventilator and arterial blood gas relation?

A. "When the ventilator rate increases, that decreases the amount of CO2 exhaled by the client."

B. "When the ventilator rate decreases, that increases the amount of CO2 exhaled by the client."

C. "The ventilator rate does not affect the amount of arterial CO2 of the client."

D. "The ventilator rate only affects the amount of arterial CO2 when the rate is elevated."

hyperventilation?

I agree. None of those seem correct.

Possibly when vent rate is higher, expiratory phase is shorter so less CO2 is exhaled.

My understanding with any respiration that the more one breathes the more CO2 is exhaled.

As you breath, you exhale CO2 but when you hyperventalate (which is what this sinario is doing by increasing ventaliations with the machine) you actually take in increased amounts of O2 raising its level in the blood (but don't blow off an equal amount of CO2) changing the ratio.

rags

I think your best answer choice is C.

In normal respirations, increasing your rate of respirations will normally result in the person blowing off more CO2 so their arterial CO2 levels will decline. Answer choice A and B are saying the opposite of that in two different ways, so you can just eliminate them. The ventilator rate does not affect the amount of arterial CO2 of the client because the ventilator is never going to be set to the high rates required to blow off amounts of CO2 needed to effect ABGs. What the ventilator does do is deliver 100% oxygen. Increasing the ventilator rate is mainly going to have a big affect on the O2 levels.

I think your best answer choice is C.

In normal respirations, increasing your rate of respirations will normally result in the person blowing off more CO2 so their arterial CO2 levels will decline. Answer choice A and B are saying the opposite of that in two different ways, so you can just eliminate them. The ventilator rate does not affect the amount of arterial CO2 of the client because the ventilator is never going to be set to the high rates required to blow off amounts of CO2 needed to effect ABGs. What the ventilator does do is deliver 100% oxygen. Increasing the ventilator rate is mainly going to have a big affect on the O2 levels.

I've seen vents on 92, 93 percent O2. My own father's was on 94. In fact, I've generally been told that they want to avoid 100 percent O2 for an extended period because it can cause damage. Secondly, if you affect the O2 levels, won't that affect the CO2 levels? Just curious.