Mechanical Ventilation Case Questions And Answers

Case 1 A 55 year-old man with a history of COPD presents to the emergency room with a two day history of worsening shortness of breath which came on following a recent viral infection. In the emergency room, his oxygen saturation is 88% on room air. He is working hard to breathe and is only speaking in short sentences. On exam, he has diffuse wheezes and a prolonged expiratory phase. His chest x-ray reveals changes consistent with COPD but no new focal infiltrates. An arterial blood gas (ABG) is done and shows pH 7.17, PCO2 55, PO2 62, HCO3 25.