Focus Areas (Respiratory Section)

• Ventilator Management: Modes (AC, SIMV, PSV), alarms, patient-ventilator synchrony, sedation and paralysis considerations.
• ARDS & Acute Respiratory Failure: Lung-protective ventilation, PEEP titration, prone positioning, permissive hypercapnia and oxygenation strategies.
• Obstructive Disease: COPD and asthma exacerbations, dynamic hyperinflation, air trapping, bronchodilator and steroid therapy.
• Pneumonia and VAP: Risk factors, early recognition, VAP prevention bundles and appropriate oxygen support.
• Pleural & Chest Tube Issues: Pneumothorax, hemothorax, chest tube management, air leaks and emergency interventions.
• Gas Exchange & ABGs: Interpreting PaO2, PaCO2, pH, A-a gradients and matching ventilator changes to ABG abnormalities.