The nurse is caring for a client with respiratory failure who has a respiratory rate of 8/min and a SpO₂ of 89%. The client is increasingly lethargic. Which of the following actions should the nurse anticipate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The client's lethargy, low respiratory rate, and SpO₂ indicate the need for mechanical ventilation with ventilator-controlled respiratory rate. Administration of high flow oxygen will not be helpful because the client's respiratory rate is so low. Insertion of a mini-tracheostomy will facilitate removal of secretions, but it will not improve the client's respiratory rate or oxygenation. BiPAP requires that the client initiate an adequate respiratory rate to allow adequate gas exchange.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Client with Respiratory Failure