During a routine prenatal visit, a client, 36 weeks pregnant, states she has difficulty breathing and feels like her pulse rate is really fast. The nurse finds her pulse to be 100 beats per minute (increased from baseline readings of 70 to 74 beats per minute and irregular, with bilateral crackles in the lower lung bases. Which nursing diagnosis would be the priority for this client?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Impaired gas exchange related to pulmonary congestion is the priority nursing diagnosis because the client's symptoms of difficulty breathing, fast and irregular pulse, and bilateral crackles in the lower lung bases suggest pulmonary congestion, which can impair gas exchange.

During a Routine Prenatal Visit, a Client, 36 Weeks Pregnant