Question on a test?

[lever5]

Your patient ahs a PA line in place. His condition is deteriorating and he is palced on a ventilator. What effect on PA pressure readings do you expect to see?

a. Unchanged

b. Elevated.

c. Lowered.

d. unknown without additional information.

I tend to go for d. If he were in resp distress, you might see them lower , [if you consider lower to mean improve,]due to inprovement in oxygenation. If he had massive CVA, it might go anyway depending on the severity and area of the cva. Lower and elevate are poor descriptors for PA numbers.

CO is a prime example, Would I expet to see it increase or decrease in a pt is put on a vent. I just never paid attention, but I have never learned anything that says it will change,

So I guess the true choice would be between unchanged and unknown. What do you think.

[Rudi Vrancken]

Indeed additional information is needed i.e. workingdiagnosis, ventilationmodus, ventilation with (how mutch?) or without PEEP, preload, lungcondition etc..

In most conditions PA-readings will change due to altered intrathoracic pressure(s). In wich sense, depends on cfr. supra.

[lever5]

Thank-you for responding Rudi, just one of those off the wall questions that you want to bounce off someone else.