NCLEX RN Medical Surgical Questions and Answers Related

Review NCLEX RN Medical Surgical Questions and Answers related questions and content

A client with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is on a ventilator. The client's peak inspiratory pressures and spontaneous respiratory rate are increasing, and the PO2 is not improving. Using the SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) technique for communication, the nurse calls the physician with the recommendation for:

  • A. Initiating I.V. sedation.
  • B. Starting a high-protein diet.
  • C. Providing pain medication.
  • D. Increasing the ventilator rate.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Increasing peak pressures, respiratory rate, and poor PO2 suggest agitation or asynchrony; I.V. sedation improves ventilator synchrony. Diet and pain medication are irrelevant. Increasing ventilator rate may worsen lung injury.