A nurse explains to a client with hypertension that diastolic pressure is a measurement of what?

Choice A rationale:

The client's respirations are faster and deeper than normal due to expelling too much carbon dioxide. This condition is known as hyperventilation. Hyperventilation can occur due to various reasons such as anxiety, pain, fever, or metabolic acidosis. When the body expels excessive carbon dioxide, it leads to respiratory alkalosis, resulting in faster and deeper breathing to compensate for the decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

Choice B rationale:

This option is incorrect. Hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen levels, typically leads to rapid, shallow breathing (tachypnea) rather than deep and fast respirations.

Choice C rationale:

This option is incorrect. Inflammation of the phrenic nerve does not directly affect the depth and rate of respirations. Phrenic nerve inflammation is more likely to cause pain during breathing or hiccups.

Choice D rationale:

This option is incorrect. Using intercostal muscles to breathe is a normal physiological process, especially during deep or labored breathing. However, it does not explain the specific situation described in the question, where the respirations are faster and deeper than normal.

Choice A rationale:

A combining vowel is a vowel (usually "o") that connects a word root to a suffix or another root. It aids in the pronunciation and flow of the word. For example, in the word "gastroenteritis," "o" is the combining vowel that connects the word root "gastr-" (stomach) to the suffix "-itis" (inflammation) Combining vowels do not provide the general meaning of the word.

Choice B rationale:

The word root provides the fundamental meaning of the word. It is the core of the medical term and gives the essential meaning. For example, in the word "cardiology," the word root "cardio-" refers to the heart. Understanding word roots is crucial in comprehending medical terminology.

Choice C rationale:

A suffix is an affix added at the end of a word to form a derivative, indicating a characteristic of a person or thing. For instance, in the word "dermatologist," the suffix "-ologist" indicates a person who studies or practices a particular kind of knowledge, in this case, dermatology (the study of the skin)

Choice D rationale:

A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. For example, in the term "preoperative," the prefix "pre-" means before, and it modifies the root word "operative," indicating something that occurs before an operation. Prefixes provide additional information about the word's context but do not give the general meaning of the word itself.