Practice Quiz

CNOR Operating Room Nursing

Category - Emergencies

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A patient has been admitted to the post-anesthesia care unit and during assessment, begins to develop shortness of breath and wheezing respirations. Their oxygen saturations are falling. The patient is awake and becomes extremely anxious as they try to breathe. What is the nurse’s response?
  1. Tell the patient to calm down, they are just being anxious.
  2. Reposition the patient on their left side and have them take several deep breaths.
  3. Hyperextend the patient’s neck and provide oxygen via bag-mask ventilation.
  4. Call the physician for an emergency tracheotomy.
Explanation
Answer: C-The nurse should hyperextend the patient’s neck and provide oxygen via bag-mask ventilation. The patient may be suffering from a laryngospasm, in which the larynx has become irritated and may be contracting. This occludes the airway and causes difficulties with breathing and anxiety for the conscious patient. The nurse should calmly reposition their head to open the airway and provide oxygen to maintain saturations while removing the irritating stimulant.
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