05-21-2007, 01:59 AM
A 15-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is brought to the emergency department with increasing respiratory distress and cyanosis. On examination, he is diaphoretic, with gasping respirations, poor air entry, and diminished responsiveness. He is tachycardic at 160 beats/min. His chest x-ray film shows a lingular pneumonia, and he is intubated. He improves over the next 10 days with antibiotics but is not extubated secondary to hypoventilation on weaning because of muscle weakness. Which of the following modalities will most likely help wean him off the ventilator?
A. Nasopharyngeal tube
B. Pressure controlled ventilation
C. Pressure supported ventilation
D. Supplemental oxygen
E. Tracheostomy
A. Nasopharyngeal tube
B. Pressure controlled ventilation
C. Pressure supported ventilation
D. Supplemental oxygen
E. Tracheostomy