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CCRN practice question: Respiratory

RespiratoryDifficulty 3/5

Which ventilator strategy is most consistent with lung-protective ventilation in ARDS?

  1. ATidal volume 6 mL/kg predicted body weight with plateau below 30 cmH2O
  2. BPressure support ventilation with the highest tolerated tidal volume for comfort
  3. CTidal volume titrated to the patient's actual body weight and normal carbon dioxide
  4. DTidal volume 10 mL/kg predicted body weight to guarantee adequate minute ventilation
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Lung-protective ventilation uses low tidal volumes based on predicted body weight with plateau pressure limited, accepting permissive hypercapnia. Higher tidal volumes worsen ventilator-induced lung injury.

  • D — 10 mL/kg is the volume associated with ventilator-induced injury.
  • B — Maximising tidal volume for comfort contradicts lung protection.
  • C — Volumes are calculated from predicted, not actual, body weight, and normocapnia is not the goal.

Concept being tested

12% of the exam. Acute pulmonary edema and embolus, ARDS, acute respiratory failure and infection, chronic conditions, mechanical-ventilation complications, pleural-space abnormalities, pulmonary hemorrhage and hypertension, status asthmaticus, thoracic and airway trauma, and thoracic surgery. — 12% of the exam. Study guide for Respiratory.

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Primary references

  1. CCRN Exam Handbook — Direct Care (July 2026) — AACN Certification Corporation · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07Reviewed by: Marcus Vance, MSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, Critical care nursing curriculum & clinical item reviewHow we verify facts