Chapter 38: Oxygenation and Perfusion

The charge nurse is observing a new nurse care for a client who is receiving oxygen via a simple mask with an FIO2 of 40%. The client states, "This moisture on my face is bothersome. Can something be done about it?" Which response by the new nurse would require clarification by the charge nurse?

"After I dry your face, I can apply powder to absorb the moisture and protect your skin."

is visiting a client who is totally oxygen dependent and using home oxygen. Upon noticing a gas stove in the kitchen, what teaching will the nurse provide?

"An electric stove may be a safer choice for you."

The nurse is teaching the client with a pulmonary disorder about deep breathing. The client asks, "Why is it important to start by breathing through my nose, then exhaling through my mouth?" Which appropriate response would the nurse give this client?

"Breathing through your nose first will warm, filter, and humidify the air you are breathing."

A client tells the nurse, "My partner says I snore all night long." What is the appropriate nursing response?

"Have you tried nasal strips?"

A child is admitted to the pediatric division with an acute asthma attack. The nurse assesses the lung sounds and respiratory rate. The mother asks the nurse, "Why is his chest sucking in above his stomach? The nurse's most accurate response is:

"He is using his chest muscles to help him breathe."

The nurse educator is presenting a lecture on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Which response given by the nursing staff would indicate to the educator that they have an understanding of cardiac output?

"If the client's stroke volume is 50 mL and heart rate is 50 beats per minute, then the cardiac output is 2.5 L/minute."

The nurse is preparing discharge teaching for a client who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which teaching about deep breathing will the nurse include?

"Inhale slowly over three seconds, purse your lips, contract abdominal muscles, and exhale slowly."

The nurse is demonstrating oxygen administration to a client. Which teaching will the nurse include the humidifier?

"Small water droplets come from this, thus preventing dry mucous membranes."

The nurse is preparing discharge teaching for a client with a history of recurrent pneumonia. What deep breathing techniques will the nurse plan to teach?

"Take in as much air as possible, hold your breath briefly, and exhale slowly."

A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reports severe shortness of breath when it is raining. The nurse says to the client:

"The air is thicker or more viscous with humidity, thus it is harder for you to breathe."

A client receiving home oxygen calls the telehealth nurse to report that her caretaker removed her oxygen tank from the wheeled carrier. What is the appropriate telehealth nurse response?

"The caregiver will need to place the oxygen tank back into the secure carrier."

Erin is a 35-year-old woman being cared for in the emergency department for a cough and hemoptysis for 3 days. Erin states that she has smoked one-and-a-half packs of cigarettes per day for the last 5 years. In trying to identify risk factors for Erin, the nurse calculates her pack-year history to write on the intake form. What is Erin's pack-year of smoking?

7.5

The nurse is reviewing the chart of a client receiving oxygen therapy. The nurse would question which supplemental oxygen prescription if written by the health care practitioner?

8 L/min oxygen via nasal cannula

Martin is a 58-year-old smoker who was admitted to the hospital with worsening shortness of breath over the last 2 days. He states that he is having some chest discomfort. The nurse asks him further about this in order to characterize whether this may be cardiac related, musculoskeletal related, or respiratory related. Martin states that when he breathes in, he feels as if the air passing into his lungs is burning him. It is also very painful to swallow. Based on what Martin is stating, which illness does the nurse suspect is causing Martin's chest discomfort?

Acute bronchitis

A nurse assessing a client's respiratory effort notes that the client's breaths are shallow and 8 per minute. Shortly after, the client's respirations cease. Which form of oxygen delivery should the nurse use for this client?

Ambu bag

The nurse is caring for a client who has a compromised cardiopulmonary system and needs to assess the client's tissue oxygenation. The nurse would use which appropriate method to assess this client's oxygenation?

Arterial blood gas

The nurse is caring for a client receiving oxygen therapy via nasal cannula. The client suddenly becomes cyanotic with a pulse oximetry reading of 91%. What is the next most appropriate action the nurse should take?

Assess oxygen tubing connection

The nurse is caring for an older adult client on home oxygen who has dentures but has quit wearing them stating that the dentures irritate the gums. What nursing action is appropriate?

Check the fit of the oxygen mask.

Which dietary guideline would be appropriate for the older adult homebound client with advanced respiratory disease who informs the nurse that she has no energy to eat?

Eat smaller meals that are high in protein.

Which skin disorder is associated with asthma?

Eczema

Which teaching about a flowmeter is important for the nurse to provide to a client using oxygen?

It regulates the amount of oxygen received.

A client's primary care provider has informed the nurse that the client will require thoracentesis. The nurse should suspect that the client has developed which disorder of lung function?

Pleural effusion

When a nurse observes that an older client's skin is dry and shiny and his nails are thickened, the nurse determines that the client is most likely experiencing

Poor tissue perfusion

The nurse is caring for a client with shortness of breath who is receiving oxygen at 4 L/minute. Which assessment finding will demonstrate that oxygen therapy is effective?

SpO2 92%

What is the action of codeine when used to treat a cough?

Suppressant

When inspecting a client's chest to assess respiratory status, the nurse should be aware of which normal finding?

The chest should be slightly convex with no sternal depression.

The newly hired nurse is caring for a client who had a tracheostomy four hours ago. Which action by the nurse would cause the charge nurse to intervene?

The newly hired nurse delegates care of the tracheostomy to a licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN).

The nurse is auscultating the lungs of a client and detects normal vesicular breath sounds. What is a characteristic of vesicular breath sounds?

They are low-pitched, soft sounds heard over peripheral lung fields.

During data collection, the nurse auscultates low-pitched, soft sounds over the lungs' peripheral fields. Which appropriate terminology would the nurse use to describe these lung sounds when documenting?

Vesicular

The nurse sets up an oxygen tent for a client. Which client is the best candidate for this oxygen delivery system?

a child who has pneumonia

A nurse is admitting a 6-year-old child status post tonsillectomy to the surgical unit. The nurse obtains his weight and places EKG and a pulse oximeter on the client's left finger. His heart rate reads 100 bpm and the pulse oximeter reads 99%. These readings best indicate:

adequate tissue perfusion.

The nurse is assessing a newborn in the nursery. The nurse notes the infant has episodes in which breathing ceased for 20 seconds on 2 occasions. The nurse correctly recognizes this condition as:

apnea

A client 57 years of age is recovering in a hospital following a bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction 2 days earlier. Since her surgery, the client has been unwilling to mobilize despite the nurse's education on the benefits of early mobilization following surgery. The nurse would recognize that the client's prolonged immobility creates a risk for:

atelectasis.

The nurse is caring for a postoperative adult client who has developed pneumonia. The nurse should assess the client frequently for symptoms of:

atelectasis.

During a routine prenatal care visit, a pregnant woman in her last trimester of pregnancy reports that she has occasional shortness of breath. The nurse instructs her that:

breathing becomes increasingly difficult as the diaphragm is displaced.

A nurse is volunteering at a day camp. A child is stung by a bee and develops wheezing in the upper airways. The child is experiencing:

bronchospasm.

Upon evaluation of a client's medical history, the nurse recognizes that which condition may lead to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the tissues of the body?

chronic anemia

A client has edema of the feet and ankles, along with crackles in the lower lobes and a frothy, productive cough. The client is suffering from:

congestive heart failure.

While reading a physician's progress notes, a student notes that an assigned client is having hypoxia. What abnormal assessments would the student expect to find?

dyspnea, tachycardia, cyanosis

A client with no prior history of respiratory illness has been admitted to a postoperative unit following foot surgery. What intervention should the nurse prioritize in an effort to prevent postoperative pneumonia and atelectasis during this time of reduced mobility following surgery?

educating the client on the use of incentive spirometry

A client has been put on oxygen therapy because of low oxygen saturation levels in the blood. What should the nurse use to regulate the amount of oxygen delivered to the client?

flow meter

An older adult client is visibly pale with a respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute. Upon questioning, the client states to the nurse, "I can't seem to catch my breath." The nurse has responded by repositioning the client and measuring the client's oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry, yielding a reading of 90%. The nurse should interpret this oxygen saturation reading in light of the client's:

hemoglobin level.

The nurse is preparing to provide hygiene care to a client with hypoxia. Into what position will the nurse place the client?

high Fowlers

The nurse is caring for a client who is diagnosed with Impaired Gas Exchange. While performing a physical assessment of the client, which data is the nurse likely to find, keeping in mind the client's diagnosis?

high respiratory rate

While examining a client, the nurse palpates the client's chest and back. What would the nurse expect to identify with this technique?

pattern of thoracic expansion

A nurse is assigned to care for a client admitted to the health care facility with the diagnosis of atelectasis. When interviewing the client, the nurse would anticipate a history of:

pneumonia.

The nurse is caring for a client who has had a percutaneous tracheostomy (PCT) following a motor vehicle accident and has been prescribed oxygen. What delivery device will the nurse select that is most appropriate for this client?

tracheostomy collar

A nurse suctioning a client through a tracheostomy tube should be careful not to occlude the Y-port when inserting the suction catheter because it would cause what condition to occur?

trauma to the tracheal mucosa

The nurse is demonstrating oxygen administration to a client. What teaching will the nurse include about the flowmeter?

"This is a gauge used to regulate the amount of oxygen that a client receives."

The nurse is caring for a client with a nonhealing wound who has been prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). When the client asks, "How will this help me?" what is the appropriate nursing response?

"Wounds heal because HBOT helps to regenerate new tissue quickly."

A nurse measuring the arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2 or SpO2) of a client's arterial blood gets a weak signal from the pulse oximeter. What would be the appropriate intervention in this situation?

Check vital signs and client condition.

The nurse is informed while receiving a nursing report that the client has been hypoxic during the evening shift. Which assessment finding is consistent with hypoxia?

Confusion

Which medication is administered in the home or the hospital to relieve inflammation in the lung tissue?

Corticosteroids

A nurse is assessing the breath sounds of a newborn. Which sound is an expected finding for this developmental level?

Crackles

The nurse auscultates a client with soft, high-pitched popping breath sounds on inspiration. The nurse documents the breath sounds heard as:

Crackles

The home care nurse visits a client who has dyspnea. The nurse notes the client has pitting edema in his feet and ankles. Which additional assessment would the nurse expect to observe?

Crackles in the lower lobes

The nurse is assessing a client with a chest tube that has been inserted after experiencing blunt trauma that resulted in a pneumothorax. What nursing action is appropriate when constant bubbling is noted in the suction control chamber?

Document the finding

The nurse assesses a client and detects the following findings: difficulty breathing, increased respiratory and pulse rates, and pale skin with regions of cyanosis. What condition would the nurse suspect as causing these respiratory alterations?

Hypoxia

The client has an increased anteroposterior chest diameter, dyspnea, and nasal flaring. The most appropriate nursing diagnosis is:

Ineffective Breathing Pattern related to hyperventilation related to increased anteroposterior diameter.

A client who was prescribed CPAP several months ago reports non-adherence to treatment. What is the appropriate priority nursing intervention?

Inquire about factors that contribute to non-adherence.

A nursing instructor is teaching a class on the mechanics of respiration and the process of ventilation. The instructor determines that the education was successful when the students identify which activity as occurring during inspiration?

Intercostal muscles contract.

Which diagnostic procedure measures lung size and airway patency, producing graphic representations of lung volumes and flows?

Pulmonary function tests

When reviewing data collection on a client with a cardiac output of 2.5 L/minute, the nurse inspects the client for which symptom?

Rapid respirations

The nurse schedules a pulmonary function test to measure the amount of air left in a client's lungs at maximal expiration. What test does the nurse order?

Residual Volume (RV)