The nurse is caring for a child in respiratory distress. What is ...

[j.rubin]

The nurse is caring for a child in respiratory distress. What is an early but less obvious sign of respiratory failure?
 
  a. Stupor
  b. Headache
  c. Bradycardia
  d. Somnolence

Question 2

A nurse is calculating the correlation of Pao2 with Sao2 according to the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. What parameter should indicate that the Pao2 is less than 50 to 60 mm Hg?
 
  a. Coarse lung sounds
  b. Temperature of 100 F
  c. Respiratory rate of 58
  d. Pulse oximetry reading of 90 or less

[ambernicolefink]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
An early but less obvious sign of respiratory failure is a headache. Stupor, bradycardia, and somnolence are signs of more severe hypoxia.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
The Pao2 can be correlated with the Sao2 by means of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, although changes in Pao2 do not cause identical (linear) changes in Sao2. The curve represents the relationship between Pao2 (measured in the blood) and Sao2 (measured by the pulse oximeter). When the Pao2 is 60?9?mm?9?Hg, the Sao2 is 90. The oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve does not correlate with lung sounds, temperature, or respiratory rate.