Rock Your CPAN Exam 2026 – Ace the Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse Challenge!

The identified answer points to an appropriate response in the context of the patient's ABG results, which exhibit a low pH and elevated PCO2. A pH of 7.24 indicates acidosis, and a PCO2 of 56 signifies hypercapnia, meaning the patient is retaining carbon dioxide. This situation can often result from inadequate ventilation.

Increasing both the tidal volume (Vt) and the respiratory rate (RR) serves to enhance the patient's ventilation, allowing for the expulsion of excess CO2 and subsequently helping to correct the acid-base imbalance. By increasing the tidal volume, more air—and therefore more CO2—can be cleared with each breath. Additionally, increasing the respiratory rate further facilitates CO2 elimination by increasing the total number of breaths taken over a given time period.

In contrast, the other options do not adequately address the underlying issue of CO2 retention. Increasing PEEP without addressing the inadequate ventilation may not provide a solution, as it could potentially further limit the expiratory phase. Decreasing PEEP and FiO2 would not aid in resolving the hypercapnia, and likewise, increasing Vt while decreasing the RR would be counterproductive, as it would reduce the frequency of breaths, potentially maintaining elevated CO2