A patient is admitted to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.Four hours after admission to the surgical intensive care unit at 4 PM,the patient has stable vital signs and normal arterial blood gases (ABGs),and is placed on a T-piece for ventilatory weaning.The following information pertains to the 1900 assessment.
What action by the nurse is best?

Question

A patient is admitted to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.Four hours after admission to the surgical intensive care unit at 4 PM,the patient has stable vital signs and normal arterial blood gases (ABGs),and is placed on a T-piece for ventilatory weaning.The following information pertains to the 1900 assessment. 
What action by the nurse is best?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

These levels show respiratory acidosis.The bicarbonate is normal; therefore,no compensation has occurred.This patient is also hypoxemic.The sputum indicates pulmonary edema.The nurse should prepare to administer a diuretic.The patient is already intubated.Increasing the oxygen by itself will not correct the situation.The ventilator settings may need to be changed; however,this is not usually performed by the nursing staff.The priority for the nurse is to address the problem.

A Patient Is Admitted to the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care