Are flashcards effective for the CRT?

Yes. Flashcards use active recall — retrieving an answer from memory — which research shows is one of the most effective ways to make information stick, especially in short sessions over several days. That matters for facts like the ABG values, the P/F ratio cutoffs, the anion gap, ET cuff pressure, and CPAP vs BiPAP.

What topics do the CRT flashcards cover?

Every NBRC content area: blood gas and acid-base interpretation, oxygenation and capnography, pulmonary diagnostics, oxygen delivery devices, cylinder-duration math, infection control and analyzer quality control, airway management, mechanical and noninvasive ventilation, and respiratory pharmacology and airway clearance.

Do these flashcards reflect the CRT (and RRT) level?

Yes. Every card is written to the entry-level respiratory-therapist standard the CRT certifies — clinical recognition, the best next step, and first-line management. The same content, scored against a higher cut score plus the Clinical Simulation Examination, is what separates the advanced RRT from the CRT.

Are these the same as your TMC flashcards?

They cover the same underlying exam — the CRT is earned by passing the TMC Exam — but these cards are framed around the CRT credential. If you prefer the same content organized by the exam's mechanics, see our TMC Exam flashcards and study guide. Many candidates use both.

Are the CRT flashcards free?

Yes — 100% free, all four study modes, no paywall.

Certified Respiratory Therapist — the NBRC entry-level credential earned by passing the TMC Exam at the low cut score.

Registered Respiratory Therapist — earned by passing the TMC at the high cut score AND passing the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE).

Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination — 160 items (140 scored + 20 pretest) in 3 hours; one exam, two cut scores (CRT low, RRT-eligibility high).

Low cut earns the CRT; high cut earns the CRT plus eligibility for the CSE toward the RRT.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care — accredits the degree programs whose graduates are eligible to sit NBRC exams.

pH (direction) → PaCO2 (respiratory) → HCO3 (metabolic) → match the value moving with the pH → assess compensation.

7.35–7.45; below is acidemia, above is alkalemia.

35–45 mm Hg; high = respiratory acidosis driver, low = respiratory alkalosis driver.

22–26 mEq/L; low = metabolic acidosis driver, high = metabolic alkalosis driver.

Low pH ( 45) from hypoventilation — COPD, sedation, neuromuscular weakness.

Respiratory alkalosis

High pH (> 7.45) with a low PaCO2 (< 35) from hyperventilation — anxiety, pain, pulmonary embolism, hypoxia.

Low pH (< 7.35) with a low HCO3 (< 22) — DKA, lactic acidosis, renal failure, diarrhea.

High pH (> 7.45) with a high HCO3 (> 26) — vomiting, diuretics, nasogastric suction.

Acute vs chronic respiratory acidosis

Acute = high PaCO2 with a near-normal HCO3 (no compensation); chronic = high HCO3 pulling pH toward normal (COPD baseline).

ABG pH 7.30 / PaCO2 58 / HCO3 27

Acute (uncompensated) respiratory acidosis — low pH, high PaCO2, near-normal HCO3.

Na − (Cl + HCO3), normally ~8–12 mEq/L; a high gap signals unmeasured acids (ketoacids, lactate).

Anion gap: Na 140, Cl 100, HCO3 10

140 − (100 + 10) = 30 — a high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (e.g., DKA).

Expected PaCO2 for a metabolic acidosis ≈ 1.5 × HCO3 + 8 (±2); checks adequate respiratory compensation.

Winter's formula: HCO3 14

1.5 × 14 + 8 = 29 mm Hg — the expected PaCO2 if the lungs are compensating appropriately.

Fully compensated chronic respiratory acidosis

Near-normal pH (e.g., 7.38) with a high PaCO2 (60) and a high HCO3 (35) — the stable COPD pattern.

PaO2 ÷ FiO2 (decimal); Berlin ARDS severity — 200–300 mild, 100–200 moderate, ≤100 severe (PEEP ≥ 5).

P/F ratio: PaO2 60 on FiO2 0.60

60 ÷ 0.60 = 100 — moderate-to-severe oxygenation impairment.

Alveolar PO2 minus arterial PaO2; normal with hypoxemia = hypoventilation, widened = gas-exchange problem (V/Q mismatch, shunt, diffusion).

Normal A–a gradient with hypoxemia

Points to pure alveolar hypoventilation — a ventilation (CO2) problem, not a gas-exchange defect.

Hemoglobin bound to carbon monoxide; can't carry O2 and is missed by pulse oximetry (falsely normal SpO2) — use CO-oximetry.

CO poisoning treatment

100% oxygen by nonrebreather to speed CO elimination; hyperbaric oxygen in severe cases.

Ferric (Fe3+) hemoglobin that can't bind oxygen; cyanosis with SpO2 stuck near 85% that doesn't improve on O2 — detect by CO-oximetry.

Normal carboxyhemoglobin (nonsmoker)

About 1–2% is a normal baseline in a healthy nonsmoker; higher in smokers.

Continuous exhaled-CO2 measurement; a normal square waveform after intubation confirms tracheal placement.

Sudden ETCO2 rise during CPR

Indicates return of spontaneous circulation as pulmonary blood flow is restored.

Increased alveolar dead space sign

A widened gap between end-tidal CO2 (e.g., 30) and arterial PaCO2 (e.g., 42), as in pulmonary embolism.

Fraction of FVC exhaled in 1 second; below ~0.70 defines an obstructive pattern (asthma or COPD).

Obstructive PFT pattern

Reduced FEV1/FVC ratio with a normal or increased total lung capacity (air trapping).

Restrictive PFT pattern

Normal or high FEV1/FVC ratio but a reduced total lung capacity — confirm with lung volumes.

Significant bronchodilator response

FEV1 improves ≥12% AND ≥200 mL after a bronchodilator (reversible obstruction = asthma).

Single-breath diffusing capacity; low when gas-exchange surface is lost (emphysema, interstitial, pulmonary vascular disease).

DLCO: emphysema vs asthma

Low in emphysema (alveolar wall destruction) but normal or high in asthma — helps separate the two.

Functional residual capacity (FRC)

Volume of gas left in the lungs after a normal resting exhalation (ERV + RV).

Elevated residual volume, normal TLC

Indicates air trapping and hyperinflation from obstructive disease.

Air-filled bronchi outlined within consolidated (fluid-filled) alveoli on a chest film.

Tension pneumothorax signs

Absent breath sounds, tracheal deviation away from the affected side, hypotension — a respiratory emergency.

Fine late-inspiratory crackles

Discontinuous popping sounds at end-inspiration, as in pulmonary edema or fibrosis.

Wheezes are high-pitched and musical; rhonchi are low-pitched, snore-like, and often clear with secretion mobilization.

High-pitched crowing heard mainly on inspiration, localizing to upper-airway obstruction (e.g., epiglottitis, post-extubation edema).

Mallampati classification

Predicts intubation difficulty by visible oropharyngeal structures; Class I favorable, Class III–IV potentially difficult.

Your FREE CRT Flashcards 2026 – 100+ Cards

Q: How many CRT flashcards are there?

Dozens of free CRT flashcards organized across the three NBRC content areas behind the Certified Respiratory Therapist credential — Patient Data Evaluation, Troubleshooting and Quality Control, and Initiation and Modification of Interventions. They're free with no account required.

Realistic, NBRC-aligned CRT flashcards — flip, match, type, and quiz yourself, all at the Certified Respiratory Therapist certification level.

How well do you know them?

CRT Flashcards

CRT credential: Certified Respiratory Therapist — the NBRC entry-level credential earned by passing the TMC Exam at the low cut score.
RRT credential: Registered Respiratory Therapist — earned by passing the TMC at the high cut score AND passing the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE).
TMC Exam: Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination — 160 items (140 scored + 20 pretest) in 3 hours; one exam, two cut scores (CRT low, RRT-eligibility high).
CRT vs RRT cut score: Low cut earns the CRT; high cut earns the CRT plus eligibility for the CSE toward the RRT.
CoARC: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care — accredits the degree programs whose graduates are eligible to sit NBRC exams.
5-step ABG method: pH (direction) → PaCO2 (respiratory) → HCO3 (metabolic) → match the value moving with the pH → assess compensation.
Normal pH range: 7.35–7.45; below is acidemia, above is alkalemia.
Normal PaCO2: 35–45 mm Hg; high = respiratory acidosis driver, low = respiratory alkalosis driver.
Normal HCO3: 22–26 mEq/L; low = metabolic acidosis driver, high = metabolic alkalosis driver.
Respiratory acidosis: Low pH (< 7.35) with a high PaCO2 (> 45) from hypoventilation — COPD, sedation, neuromuscular weakness.
Respiratory alkalosis: High pH (> 7.45) with a low PaCO2 (< 35) from hyperventilation — anxiety, pain, pulmonary embolism, hypoxia.
Metabolic acidosis: Low pH (< 7.35) with a low HCO3 (< 22) — DKA, lactic acidosis, renal failure, diarrhea.
Metabolic alkalosis: High pH (> 7.45) with a high HCO3 (> 26) — vomiting, diuretics, nasogastric suction.
Acute vs chronic respiratory acidosis: Acute = high PaCO2 with a near-normal HCO3 (no compensation); chronic = high HCO3 pulling pH toward normal (COPD baseline).
ABG pH 7.30 / PaCO2 58 / HCO3 27: Acute (uncompensated) respiratory acidosis — low pH, high PaCO2, near-normal HCO3.
Anion gap: Na − (Cl + HCO3), normally ~8–12 mEq/L; a high gap signals unmeasured acids (ketoacids, lactate).
Anion gap: Na 140, Cl 100, HCO3 10: 140 − (100 + 10) = 30 — a high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (e.g., DKA).
Winter's formula: Expected PaCO2 for a metabolic acidosis ≈ 1.5 × HCO3 + 8 (±2); checks adequate respiratory compensation.
Winter's formula: HCO3 14: 1.5 × 14 + 8 = 29 mm Hg — the expected PaCO2 if the lungs are compensating appropriately.
Fully compensated chronic respiratory acidosis: Near-normal pH (e.g., 7.38) with a high PaCO2 (60) and a high HCO3 (35) — the stable COPD pattern.
P/F ratio: PaO2 ÷ FiO2 (decimal); Berlin ARDS severity — 200–300 mild, 100–200 moderate, ≤100 severe (PEEP ≥ 5).
P/F ratio: PaO2 60 on FiO2 0.60: 60 ÷ 0.60 = 100 — moderate-to-severe oxygenation impairment.
A–a gradient: Alveolar PO2 minus arterial PaO2; normal with hypoxemia = hypoventilation, widened = gas-exchange problem (V/Q mismatch, shunt, diffusion).
Normal A–a gradient with hypoxemia: Points to pure alveolar hypoventilation — a ventilation (CO2) problem, not a gas-exchange defect.
Carboxyhemoglobin: Hemoglobin bound to carbon monoxide; can't carry O2 and is missed by pulse oximetry (falsely normal SpO2) — use CO-oximetry.
CO poisoning treatment: 100% oxygen by nonrebreather to speed CO elimination; hyperbaric oxygen in severe cases.
Methemoglobin: Ferric (Fe3+) hemoglobin that can't bind oxygen; cyanosis with SpO2 stuck near 85% that doesn't improve on O2 — detect by CO-oximetry.
Normal carboxyhemoglobin (nonsmoker): About 1–2% is a normal baseline in a healthy nonsmoker; higher in smokers.
Capnography: Continuous exhaled-CO2 measurement; a normal square waveform after intubation confirms tracheal placement.
Sudden ETCO2 rise during CPR: Indicates return of spontaneous circulation as pulmonary blood flow is restored.
Increased alveolar dead space sign: A widened gap between end-tidal CO2 (e.g., 30) and arterial PaCO2 (e.g., 42), as in pulmonary embolism.
FEV1/FVC ratio: Fraction of FVC exhaled in 1 second; below ~0.70 defines an obstructive pattern (asthma or COPD).
Obstructive PFT pattern: Reduced FEV1/FVC ratio with a normal or increased total lung capacity (air trapping).
Restrictive PFT pattern: Normal or high FEV1/FVC ratio but a reduced total lung capacity — confirm with lung volumes.
Significant bronchodilator response: FEV1 improves ≥12% AND ≥200 mL after a bronchodilator (reversible obstruction = asthma).
DLCO: Single-breath diffusing capacity; low when gas-exchange surface is lost (emphysema, interstitial, pulmonary vascular disease).
DLCO: emphysema vs asthma: Low in emphysema (alveolar wall destruction) but normal or high in asthma — helps separate the two.
Functional residual capacity (FRC): Volume of gas left in the lungs after a normal resting exhalation (ERV + RV).
Elevated residual volume, normal TLC: Indicates air trapping and hyperinflation from obstructive disease.
Air bronchogram: Air-filled bronchi outlined within consolidated (fluid-filled) alveoli on a chest film.
Tension pneumothorax signs: Absent breath sounds, tracheal deviation away from the affected side, hypotension — a respiratory emergency.
Fine late-inspiratory crackles: Discontinuous popping sounds at end-inspiration, as in pulmonary edema or fibrosis.
Wheeze vs rhonchus: Wheezes are high-pitched and musical; rhonchi are low-pitched, snore-like, and often clear with secretion mobilization.
Stridor: High-pitched crowing heard mainly on inspiration, localizing to upper-airway obstruction (e.g., epiglottitis, post-extubation edema).
Mallampati classification: Predicts intubation difficulty by visible oropharyngeal structures; Class I favorable, Class III–IV potentially difficult.
APGAR scoring times: Assigned at 1 and 5 minutes after birth (with continued scoring if the neonate is depressed).
Auto-PEEP: Trapped intrinsic PEEP from incomplete exhalation; total PEEP minus set PEEP on an expiratory-hold maneuver.
Auto-PEEP: total 12, set 5: 12 − 5 = 7 cm H2O of auto-PEEP — reduce it by lengthening expiratory time.
Dynamic compliance formula: Tidal volume ÷ (peak pressure − PEEP); e.g., 500 mL ÷ (30 − 5) = 20 mL/cm H2O.
Plateau pressure: Measured during an inspiratory hold (no flow); reflects compliance and is kept < 30 cm H2O to limit lung injury.
6-minute walk test: An objective marker of functional exercise capacity; terminate and assess the patient for severe dyspnea or desaturation.
Hyperkalemia on ECG: Peaked T waves, a widened QRS, and a flattened P wave — a can't-miss electrolyte emergency.
Low-flow oxygen device: Cannula, simple mask, nonrebreather — flow is below total inspiratory demand, so FiO2 varies with the breathing pattern.
High-flow oxygen device: Venturi mask, high-flow nasal cannula — flow meets or exceeds demand, giving a fixed, predictable FiO2.
Nasal cannula FiO2 rule: Roughly 4% per liter from 1–6 L/min (~24–44% FiO2); a low-flow, variable device.
Air-entrainment (Venturi) mask: Sets a precise FiO2 by jet size and entrainment ports; raising the set FiO2 LOWERS total flow (less entrainment).
Venturi mask high-demand pitfall: At a high set FiO2 the lower total flow may not meet a febrile, tachypneic patient's demand — entrains extra room air.
Heated high-flow nasal cannula: Heated, humidified gas up to ~60 L/min; flushes nasopharyngeal dead space and adds a small PEEP-like effect.
Nonrebreather bag collapsing on inspiration: Flow is too low — raise it until the reservoir bag stays partially inflated.
Oxygen concentrator output: A stationary unit delivers at least roughly 90% oxygen; it is electrically powered, so loss of power halts output.
Cylinder duration formula: Minutes = cylinder factor × gauge pressure (psig) ÷ flow (L/min); H factor ≈ 3.14, E factor ≈ 0.28.
H-cylinder: 2200 psig at 8 L/min: (3.14 × 2200) ÷ 8 ≈ 860 minutes of oxygen available.
E-cylinder: 1200 psig at 5 L/min: (0.28 × 1200) ÷ 5 ≈ 67 minutes — adequate for a 45-minute transport with a small margin.
Safe cylinder residual pressure: Change a cylinder at about 200–500 psig rather than running it to empty.
Back-pressure-compensated Thorpe tube: Float sits downstream of the needle valve, so a downstream restriction does not falsely lower the flow reading.
Bourdon-gauge flowmeter: Position-independent (works in any orientation), making it ideal for transport; reads pressure, not true flow against a restriction.
Reading a non-rotating skirted float: Read the flow at the top flat surface of the float.
Air-oxygen blender check: Verify FiO2 downstream in the delivered gas; a blender reading 1.0 across the range is faulty — remove it from service.
Spaulding: critical items: Enter sterile tissue or the bloodstream (surgical instruments) — must be STERILIZED.
Spaulding: semicritical items: Contact mucous membranes or non-intact skin (reusable laryngoscope blade) — at least HIGH-LEVEL DISINFECTION.
Spaulding: noncritical items: Touch only intact skin (BP cuff, ventilator surface) — LOW- or intermediate-level disinfection.
Airborne precautions: Negative-pressure room + fit-tested N95 for pathogens in small droplet nuclei — tuberculosis, measles, varicella.
Droplet precautions: A surgical mask for larger respiratory droplets — influenza, pertussis.
Contact precautions: Gown and gloves for spread by touch — MRSA, C. difficile.
Suspected active pulmonary TB: Place in a negative-pressure airborne infection isolation room and wear a fit-tested N95 or higher.
PPE donning order: Gown, then respirator (mask), then eye protection, then gloves.
First step after removing PPE: Perform hand hygiene immediately after doffing gloves and gown.
VAP prevention bundle: Head of bed 30–45°, sedation interruption, oral care, and stress-ulcer plus VTE prophylaxis as appropriate.
Closed (in-line) suction benefit: Suction without disconnecting the circuit — less contamination and less loss of PEEP/oxygenation.
Blood gas analyzer two-point calibration: Sets both the offset (zero) and the slope of each electrode across the measuring range.
Levey–Jennings chart: Plots daily quality-control values around the mean to spot shifts and trends in analyzer performance.
QC shift vs trend: A shift is an abrupt jump to one side of the mean (new reagent lot); a trend is a gradual drift (aging electrode).
Out-of-range QC result: Hold patient results, troubleshoot and correct the analyzer, then repeat the control before reporting.
Precise but not accurate: Results are tightly grouped (reproducible) but consistently off the true value — a calibration problem.
PO2 electrode membrane: The oxygen channel reads erroneously when the semipermeable membrane through which O2 diffuses to the cathode is damaged.
Metered-dose inhaler with spacer technique: One puff at a time with a slow, deep inhalation; inhaling too fast triggers the spacer's flow whistle.
Dry-powder inhaler technique: A quick, forceful, deep inhalation creates the turbulence that disperses the powder; keep it dry (moisture clumps it).
DPI in severe asthma: May fail because severe bronchospasm lowers inspiratory flow below what the device needs to aerosolize the dose.
Oxygen titration goal: Use the lowest flow that keeps SpO2 in the ordered target range (commonly 92–96%), correcting tissue hypoxia.
Hypoxemia from hypoventilation: Oxygen corrects the hypoxemia but does not fix the inadequate ventilation — address the cause (e.g., reverse sedation, support ventilation).
Cannula maxed out, still hypoxemic: Switch to a higher-concentration device such as a mask system rather than pushing cannula flow higher.
Nasal cannula at 1 L/min FiO2: About 0.24 (24%) using the common low-flow estimation rule.
Tachypnea and effective FiO2: A fast, shallow breathing pattern dilutes low-flow oxygen with more room air, lowering the delivered FiO2.
Oropharyngeal airway: Holds the tongue forward and acts as a bite block in a patient with NO gag reflex; provokes gagging if the gag is intact.
Oropharyngeal airway too long: Can push the epiglottis down and worsen the obstruction.
Nasopharyngeal airway: Better tolerated by a conscious/semiconscious patient and serves as a conduit for nasotracheal suctioning.
Nasopharyngeal airway inserted too far: The tip stimulates the larynx/hypopharynx, causing gagging and coughing — withdraw it slightly.
Confirming ET tube placement: Capnography (square waveform) is most reliable; equal bilateral breath sounds, no epigastric sound, and a confirming chest film.
ET tube tip on chest film: Should sit about 2–6 cm above the carina.
ET cuff pressure target: 20–30 cm H2O — high enough to seal, low enough to avoid tracheal mucosal ischemia.
Cuff pressure 16 cm H2O: Below range — add air to bring it into the 20–30 cm H2O window (prevents leaks and aspiration).
Cuff pressure 38 cm H2O: Above range — remove air; pressure above tracheal capillary perfusion can cause ischemia.
High-volume low-pressure cuff: Seals at a lower pressure over a larger contact area, reducing focal mucosal injury.
ET suction negative pressure (adult): About −100 to −150 mm Hg; higher risks mucosal trauma and atelectasis.
SpO2 falls during suctioning: Withdraw the catheter and reoxygenate the patient before any further attempt.
Routine saline instillation before suction: Generally discouraged — it can cause desaturation and does not reliably thin secretions.
Colorimetric CO2 detector in arrest: May read low despite correct tracheal placement because low pulmonary blood flow reduces delivered CO2.
Esophageal intubation sign: Progressive gastric distension, absent breath sounds, and no CO2 waveform.
Assist-control (A/C) ventilation: Every breath delivers the full set volume/pressure — maximum support; the mode for a patient with no respiratory drive.
SIMV: Synchronized mandatory breaths plus the patient's own spontaneous breaths in between (often with pressure support).
Pressure support ventilation (PSV): Patient triggers every breath; a set inspiratory pressure augments it and the breath cycles off as flow falls.
High-pressure ventilator alarm: Obstruction or stiffness — secretions, a kinked/bitten tube, bronchospasm, falling compliance, pneumothorax.
Low-pressure ventilator alarm: A leak or disconnection — circuit disconnect, underinflated cuff, loose connection, cuff rupture.
PEEP: Pressure held at end-exhalation to keep alveoli open and improve oxygenation, letting you lower the FiO2.
PEEP main hazard: Reduced venous return → lower cardiac output and blood pressure (hypotension after a PEEP increase); also barotrauma.
Best (optimal) PEEP: The level that maximizes oxygenation and compliance without overdistension or hemodynamic compromise.
PEEP lets you lower FiO2: Improved oxygenation from recruited alveoli allows reducing FiO2 (e.g., 0.80 → 0.50) to limit oxygen toxicity.
CPAP: One continuous pressure throughout the breath; splints alveoli and the upper airway but does not actively assist ventilation.
CPAP uses: Cardiogenic pulmonary edema and obstructive sleep apnea — keeps alveoli and the airway open.
BiPAP (bilevel): A higher inspiratory (IPAP) and lower expiratory (EPAP) pressure; the IPAP–EPAP difference is pressure support.
Lower PaCO2 on BiPAP: Widen the IPAP–EPAP gap (raise IPAP) to increase tidal volume and minute ventilation.
Improve oxygenation on BiPAP: Raise EPAP — it recruits alveoli like PEEP.
Bilevel backup rate: Set for a patient at risk of hypoventilation so the device delivers breaths if the patient's effort fails.
Spontaneous breathing trial (SBT): Low-level pressure support or CPAP to test readiness; abort for tachycardia, desaturation, or distress.
Daily SBT vs slow wean: A daily spontaneous breathing trial liberates patients faster than gradually reducing support over many days.
Extubation readiness: Passed SBT, stable, oxygenating on minimal support, AND able to protect the airway (intact gag and cough).
Cuff-leak test: No leak when the cuff is deflated suggests laryngeal edema and risk of post-extubation stridor.
Albuterol: Short-acting beta-2 agonist that rapidly relaxes bronchial smooth muscle — first-line for acute bronchospasm.
Levalbuterol: An option when racemic albuterol causes marked tachycardia; the active R-isomer of albuterol.
Ipratropium: Short-acting anticholinergic bronchodilator; slower onset than albuterol and often combined with it.
Tiotropium: A long-acting anticholinergic (LAMA) for once-daily COPD maintenance bronchodilation.
Racemic epinephrine: Constricts upper-airway mucosal vessels to shrink swelling — croup and post-extubation stridor; watch for rebound.
Dornase alfa: Recombinant DNase that cleaves DNA-rich cystic-fibrosis sputum; give a bronchodilator first.
N-acetylcysteine: A mucolytic that breaks mucus disulfide bonds; can trigger bronchospasm, so it is often paired with a bronchodilator.
Hypertonic saline (nebulized): Draws water osmotically into the airway to improve secretion clearance.
Heliox: A low-density helium-oxygen mix that cuts turbulent flow and the work of breathing in severe airway obstruction.
Heliox 80/20 vs 70/30: 80/20 is less dense and more effective; benefit shrinks as the oxygen fraction (and density) rises.
Inhaled nitric oxide: A selective pulmonary vasodilator; monitor methemoglobin and nitrogen-dioxide (NO2) byproduct.
Incentive spirometry: Slow, sustained maximal inspirations by an alert, cooperative patient — high-yield after upper-abdominal or thoracic surgery.
IPPB vs incentive spirometry: IPPB (positive pressure) is for patients who cannot take an adequate deep breath on their own.
Postural drainage: Positions the affected lung segment uppermost so gravity drains secretions; schedule before meals or 1–2 h after.
Postural drainage with raised ICP: Avoid head-down (Trendelenburg) positions, which can further raise intracranial pressure.
PEP / flutter / Acapella: Positive-expiratory-pressure and oscillatory devices splint airways open and mobilize mucus.
High-frequency chest wall oscillation (vest): Mobilizes secretions for patients who cannot tolerate manual chest physiotherapy.
Recruitment maneuver: A brief sustained high pressure reopens collapsed alveoli in ARDS; follow with adequate PEEP to keep them open.
Recruitment maneuver complication: Hypotension from reduced venous return — stop the maneuver if blood pressure drops.

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By Career EmployerUpdated Sep 12, 2026

100+ free CRT flashcards — 4 ways to study

CRT Flashcard of the DayNew daily

The classic card. Do you know this one?

Click Study Flashcards above to open the flashcard hub — dozens of CRT cards you can flip, match, type, or quiz yourself on. Every card is drawn from the NBRC content areas behind the Certified Respiratory Therapist credential and written to the CRT/RRT certification level, so you study exactly what earning the CRT requires.^[1] Pair them with our free practice questions and study guide.

Note: the CRT is earned by passing the same exam as the TMC. These cards are framed around the credential; for the same content organized by the exam's mechanics, see our TMC flashcards.

CRT Flashcard Study Modes

Flip mode lets you work through each card front and back at your own pace. Match turns terms and definitions into a timed pairing game. Type shows the definition and asks you to key the term back, so a card like Auto-PEEP has to come from memory rather than recognition. Quiz builds multiple-choice questions from the same cards for a fast accuracy check.

Free CRT flashcards from Career Employer — active recall for the NBRC Certified Respiratory Therapist credential

Why Flashcards Work for the CRT

Initiation & Modification of Interventions is the largest block at 58 cards, and it drills the vocabulary of setting up and adjusting therapy: ventilator modes, positive pressure settings, gas mixtures, and the drugs you titrate at the bedside. You will see SIMV and PEEP alongside CPAP uses, and bronchodilator cards such as Albuterol that ask you to separate drug class from indication quickly. Heliox sits here too, the kind of term that matters when a question turns on gas density.

Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations carries 52 cards and covers what you read, measure, and interpret before recommending a change. Pulmonary function and gas exchange terms such as DLCO and P/F ratio sit next to acid-base vocabulary like Anion gap, so you practice pulling meaning out of numbers instead of just labeling them. Assessment and monitoring terms are here as well, and Capnography is the sort of card that rewards knowing what the waveform tells you, not only what the word stands for.

Troubleshooting, QC & Infection Control closes the deck with 36 cards on equipment problems, quality control, and isolation practice. Isolation cards such as Droplet precautions push you to keep transmission categories straight, while PPE donning order fixes a sequence you have to perform in the right order every time. Levey–Jennings chart covers the quality control side, where reading a trend in analyzer performance matters as much as naming the tool itself.

That matters for the CRT, where facts like the normal ABG values, the P/F ratio cutoffs, the anion gap, the 20–30 cm H2O cuff-pressure window, and the CPAP-vs-BiPAP distinction must be instantly available. Used alongside our practice questions and study guide, flashcards turn review time into measurable progress.

CRT Flashcards by Content Area

The cards are organized by the three NBRC content areas. Weight your study toward the heaviest one — Initiation and Modification of Interventions is about half the exam — but review every area, since all three are tested:^[1]

CRT/TMC content areas and NBRC blueprint weighting
NBRC content area	Approx. share
III · Initiation & Modification of Interventions	~50% (~70 items)
I · Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations	~36% (~50 items)
II · Troubleshooting, QC & Infection Control	~14% (~20 items)

Section III (interventions) — ventilation, airways, oxygen therapy, and pharmacology — carries the most points, but blood-gas interpretation in Patient Data threads through the whole exam, so keep it sharp.

How to Get the Most Out of These Flashcards

Start with the biggest block. Initiation & Modification of Interventions holds 58 cards, and its ventilator and drug vocabulary shows up inside questions from the other two domains as well.
Type-drill the terms you confuse. Cards like SIMV and PEEP are easy to recognize and hard to define, so typing them forces the precise distinction you need under pressure.
Let Match handle the paired sets. Timed pairing works well for infection control cards such as Droplet precautions, where the risk is mixing up categories rather than forgetting them outright.
Move to the practice test once Quiz feels routine. When multiple-choice runs clean across all three domains, switch to the practice test for scenario-length items and use the study guide to fill gaps.
Rotate rather than cram. With 146 cards, work one domain per session, then Flip the cards you missed the day before starting anything new.

CRT Flashcards FAQ

Dozens of free CRT flashcards organized across the three NBRC content areas behind the Certified Respiratory Therapist credential — Patient Data Evaluation, Troubleshooting and Quality Control, and Initiation and Modification of Interventions. They're free with no account required.

References

1.National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). “Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT).” NBRC. ↑
2.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “Respiratory Failure.” nhlbi.nih.gov. ↑
3.ARDS Network (ARDSnet) / NHLBI. “ARDSnet Ventilator Protocol.” ardsnet.org. ↑
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Isolation Precautions.” cdc.gov. ↑

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Career Employer’s Editorial Process

Here at Career Employer, we focus a lot on providing factually accurate information that is always up to date. We strive to provide correct information using strict editorial processes, article editing, and fact-checking for all of the information found on our website. We only utilize trustworthy and relevant resources. To find out more, make sure to read our full editorial process page here.