OXYGEN/GAS EXCHANGE
The primary healthcare provider prescribes "bathroom privileges only" for a client with pulmonary edema. The client becomes irritable and asks the nurse whether it is really necessary to stay in bed so much. What would be the best reply by the nurse?
"Rest helps your body direct energy toward healing."
A client at 35 weeks' gestation asks a nurse why her breathing has become more difficult. How should the nurse respond?
"Your diaphragm has been displaced upward."
A nurse is caring for a client who is admitted to the hospital with severe dyspnea and a diagnosis of cancer of the lung. The nurse concludes that the severe dyspnea probably is caused by what?
Bronchial obstruction or pleural effusion
A client with emphysema experiences shortness of breath and uses pursed-lip breathing and accessory muscles of respiration. What does the nurse determine as the cause of the dyspnea?
Difficulty in expelling the air trapped in the alveoli
A client is returned to the surgical unit after an abdominal cholecystectomy. What is the main reason why the nurse should assess for clinical indicators of respiratory complications?
Incision is in close proximity to the client's diaphragm.
A parent of three young children has contracted tuberculosis. Which should the nurse expect the health care provider to prescribe for members of the family who have a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test and are candidates for treatment?
Isoniazid
During chest examination in a healthy client, the nurse percusses and hears a low-pitched sound over the lungs. Which sound should the nurse document in the medical record?
Resonance
A nurse in the post-anesthesia care unit is caring for a client who just had a thyroidectomy. Which client response is it most important for the nurse to monitor?
Signs of respiratory obstruction
What should the nurse include in the plan of care for a client who just had a total laryngectomy?
Suctioning the tracheostomy tube whenever necessary
A nurse plans to set up emergency equipment at the bedside of a client in the immediate postoperative period after a thyroidectomy. What should the nurse include in the bedside setup?
Tracheostomy set and oxygen
A client would benefit from diaphragmatic breathing. What should the nurse advise the client to do?
Expand the abdomen on inhalation
The nurse is monitoring a client's hemoglobin level. How does the amount of hemoglobin in the blood affect oxygenation?
A low hemoglobin level causes reduced oxygen-carrying capacity.
A client has undergone a subtotal thyroidectomy. The client is being transferred from the post anesthesia care unit/recovery area to the inpatient nursing unit. What emergency equipment is most important for the nurse to have available for this client?
A tracheostomy tray
When suctioning a client with a tracheostomy, what is an important safety measure for the nurse?
Apply suction only as the catheter is being withdrawn.
A client is receiving morphine sulfate for severe metastatic bone pain. What should the nurse do to prevent complications from a common, serious side effect of morphine?
Assess for altered breathing patterns
