A patient,diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis,presents with Kussmaul respirations at a rate of 28.A newly licensed nurse asks the patient to try to slow his breathing.What instruction should the preceptor provide?
A)"Keep trying to slow the patient's respirations because breathing so fast is hard on his heart."
B)"If he keeps breathing like that he will develop respiratory acidosis."
C)"Let the patient set his respiratory rate as rapid breathing helps to compensate for his acidosis."
D)"The patient is breathing deeply to help offset diabetes-induced hypoxemia."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kussmaul respirations are a compensatory mechanism in which the body tries to eliminate excess acids by increasing the ventilation rate. Therefore, instructing the patient to slow down their breathing would be counterproductive as it could lead to further acid accumulation. It is important to let the patient set their own respiratory rate to effectively compensate for the acidosis.

A Patient,diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis,presents with Kussmaul Respirations at a Rate