Ventilator Alarms — NCLEX Cheat Sheet
High = obstruction · Low = disconnection
👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team
🕐 Updated 2026-08-31
🏷️ Physiological Adaptation
🔖 Free to read, print, and share
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Ventilator Alarms on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
📌 High Pressure — Something Is Blocking
- Kinked tubing — unkink it
- Water condensation in the circuit — empty it
- Secretions — turn, cough, deep breathe, then suction
- Biting the tube — bite block
- Bronchospasm or a pneumothorax
📌 Low Pressure — Something Came Apart
- Main circuit disconnected — reconnect
- Oxygen sensor tubing off — reconnect
- Cuff leak or the patient is extubated
📌 Translate The Abg
- Respiratory alkalosis = the settings are too HIGH
- Respiratory acidosis = the settings are too LOW
✅ If In Doubt
- Disconnect and bag on 100% O2
- Never just silence it
✨Quick Tip
Focus on the highlighted numbers and the red-flag items — those are what the NCLEX tests most on ventilator alarms.
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