Upper Respiratory
This disorder involves repeated episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep, leading to loud snoring, daytime fatigue, and increased cardiovascular risk.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
This test must be read 48–72 hours after placement, and an induration of ≥10 mm is considered positive for healthcare workers and other moderate‑risk groups.
What is the PPD (Mantoux tuberculin skin test)?
If the pH is low and the PaCO₂ is high, this primary acid–base imbalance is occurring.
What is respiratory acidosis?
A nurse may delegate tasks like repositioning, obtaining vital signs, and assisting with incentive spirometry to this team member, as long as the patient is stable.
Who is a UAP?
A nurse should teach patients that petroleum‑based products like Vaseline should never be used on the face while using oxygen because they increase this serious risk.
What is the risk of a fire hazard?
This life‑threatening upper airway complication is often caused by foreign bodies, severe allergic reactions, or trauma and presents with stridor, inability to speak, and use of accessory muscles.
What is acute upper airway obstruction?
This respiratory infection commonly presents with fever, productive cough, crackles, dyspnea, and in older adults may show confusion instead of classic symptoms.
What is pneumonia?
When the kidneys retain HCO₃⁻ to balance a respiratory problem, this process is taking place.
What is metabolic compensation?
A UAP may apply this oxygen delivery device if the nurse has already assessed the patient and set the flow rate.
What is a nasal cannula?
This is the only oxygen delivery device that allows the nurse to precisely control and titrate the patient’s FiO₂, making it especially useful for COPD patients.
What is a Venturi mask?
This visible sign of oxygen deprivation appears late in respiratory distress and indicates severe hypoxemia, often seen around the lips, nail beds, and mucous membranes.
What is cyanosis?
This infectious disease often presents with a chronic cough lasting more than 3 weeks, night sweats, fever, weight loss, and sometimes hemoptysis.
What is tuberculosis?
A bicarbonate level below 22 mEq/L suggests this type of acid–base imbalance.
What is metabolic acidosis?
A UAP can encourage this breathing technique used by COPD patients to prolong exhalation, but the nurse must teach it first.
What is pursed‑lip breathing?
A nurse must intervene if a patient using home oxygen stores their oxygen tanks lying on the floor, because tanks must always be kept in this position to prevent accidents.
What is upright and secured storage?
This surgically created opening in the trachea provides a direct airway for patients who cannot breathe effectively through the upper airway and is often used for long‑term ventilation or severe obstruction.
What is a tracheostomy?
Patients with this chronic respiratory condition may show barrel chest, pursed‑lip breathing, use of accessory muscles, and diminished breath sounds due to air trapping and hyperinflation.
What is COPD?
A patient with pH 7.50, PaCO₂ 30 mmHg, and normal HCO₃⁻ is experiencing this condition.
What is respiratory alkalosis?
A nurse should immediately intervene if a UAP is doing this task, because changing oxygen delivery requires assessment, clinical judgment, and is outside the UAP’s scope of practice.
What is adjusting the oxygen flow rate?
Patients using home oxygen must ensure that this safety device is functioning properly in the home, as oxygen increases the speed and intensity of fires.
What is a working smoke detector?
When using this handheld device, patients should exhale fully, seal their lips around the mouthpiece, inhale slowly while activating the device, and hold their breath for 10 seconds.
What is using a metered‑dose inhaler (MDI)?
In some patients with chronic CO₂ retention, this physiologic mechanism becomes their primary stimulus to breathe, meaning excessive oxygen administration can reduce respiratory effort.
What is the hypoxic drive?
When a patient breathes very rapidly, they blow off excess CO₂. This causes the PaCO₂ to drop and the pH to rise, leading to this acid–base imbalance.
What is respiratory alkalosis?
A nurse must intervene if a UAP begins doing this task, because offering new health information or explaining how to perform a respiratory treatment requires nursing knowledge and clinical judgment.
What is providing patient teaching?
A nurse should remind a patient using home oxygen that oxygen equipment must be kept at least 5–6 feet away from this high‑heat area of the home to prevent fire hazards.
What is the kitchen?