Preparing for the RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) exam? Basics is one of the areas our deck drills hardest: 50 of its 1040 flashcards focus on basics, covering topics like Advanced Directive, Healthcare Proxy, Do Not Resuscitate, Respiratory Therapist. Try the sample questions below — every card is a real question-and-answer pair from the full deck.
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A 72-year-old alert male with a COPD exacerbation refuses BiPAP despite a pH of 7.24 and worsening respiratory distress. He demonstrates understanding of the risks, including death. What is the RT's most appropriate next action?
Show answer →Respect patient autonomy. If a patient is competent, oriented, and fully informed of the risks, they have the legal right to refuse any treatment. The RT must document the refusal, notify the attending physician, and continue to provide other supportive care (e.g., oxygen, medications) that the patient still accepts. NBRC Strategy: Autonomy is a top priority on the exam; as long as the patient is decisional, their choice overrides the clinician's desire to provide beneficial treatment (beneficence).
An unconscious patient has no Advanced Directive or Healthcare Proxy. The spouse wants everything done, but the adult child claims the patient never wanted to be on a machine. According to the standard legal hierarchy, who is the primary decision-maker?
Show answer →The Spouse. In the absence of a designated Healthcare Proxy (DPOA) or Living Will, the legal hierarchy for surrogate decision-making is generally: 1. Legal Guardian, 2. Designated Healthcare Proxy, 3. Spouse, 4. Adult Children, 5. Parents, 6. Adult Siblings. Clinical Pearl: RTs should follow the spouse's direction while suggesting an Ethics Committee consult if family conflict impedes the care plan. NBRC focuses on the legal hierarchy of next-of-kin.
A patient has a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order. During a treatment, the RT finds the patient in acute respiratory distress due to a large mucus plug. Should the RT perform therapeutic suctioning and provide supplemental oxygen?
Show answer →Yes. A DNR order applies specifically to the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest (no pulse or no breathing). It does NOT preclude standard medical care, comfort measures, or the treatment of reversible conditions. Unless DNI (Do Not Intubate) or Comfort Care Only is specifically documented, the RT must provide all indicated therapies to prevent arrest. NBRC Distractor: Do not confuse DNR with Do Not Treat.
During an apnea test for brain death determination, the patient's SpO2 drops to 84% and systolic BP falls to 75 mmHg before the 10-minute mark. What is the correct immediate action by the RT?
Show answer →Abort the test and return the patient to previous ventilator settings. Apnea testing requires hemodynamic stability. If the patient develops significant hypotension, arrhythmias, or SpO2 <85%, the test must be terminated. To confirm brain death, the PaCO2 must rise ≥20 mmHg above baseline (or >60 mmHg) with no respiratory effort observed. NBRC Exam Tip: Safety and stability are prerequisites for valid brain death testing.
A family requests terminal weaning for a patient with a terminal illness and poor prognosis. What is the Respiratory Therapist's primary clinical and ethical responsibility during this process?
Show answer →Ensure patient comfort and prevent air hunger. RTs must coordinate with the nurse and physician to ensure that opioids (e.g., morphine) or benzodiazepines are titrated to effect BEFORE and DURING the reduction of ventilator support. The goal of terminal weaning or terminal extubation is to remove burdensome interventions while maintaining dignity. NBRC Tip: The focus is on symptom management, not hastening death.
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1,040 RRT question-and-answer cards across 8 topics, written for this exam. Refund policy.
The full RRT deck contains 1040 flashcards, and 50 of them focus on basics. This page shows 5 free samples.
Our RRT deck dedicates 50 of 1040 cards (5%) to basics — always cross-check the official NBRC exam outline for the current blueprint weighting.
Yes — the samples on this page are free, and the RRT preview page has 30 more free cards. Full access to all 1040 cards is a one-time $7.
Assessment
110 cards
Diagnostics
250 cards
Management
220 cards
Pathology
90 cards
Pharmacology
80 cards
Procedures
230 cards
RRT practice test
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