A nurse is assessing a client who has left-sided heart failure. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A. Call emergency services for the client: While difficulty breathing is a concerning symptom, the immediate priority is to assess the client's respiratory status to determine the cause and appropriate interventions. Calling emergency services may be necessary based on the assessment findings, but assessment comes first.

B. Increase the oxygen flow to 3 L/min: Adjusting oxygen flow may be part of the intervention, but it should be based on a comprehensive assessment of the client's respiratory status. Simply increasing the oxygen flow without a thorough assessment may not address the underlying issue.

C. Have the client cough and expectorate secretions: This action may be appropriate if the client is experiencing difficulty breathing due to increased bronchial secretions. However, assessment is needed to determine the cause of the difficulty breathing before implementing interventions.

D. Assess the client's respiratory status: This is the correct answer. Assessment is the priority when a client with COPD on oxygen reports difficulty breathing. The nurse should gather information about the client's respiratory rate, effort, oxygen saturation, lung sounds, and overall respiratory distress to determine the appropriate course of action.

A. Troponin is a lipid whose levels reflect the risk for coronary artery disease: This statement is incorrect. Troponin is not a lipid, and its levels do not reflect the risk for coronary artery disease. Troponin is a protein associated with muscle tissue.

B. Troponin is an enzyme that indicates damage to brain, heart, and skeletal muscle tissues: While troponin indicates damage to muscle tissues, it is specifically associated with cardiac muscle, not brain or skeletal muscle tissues.

C. Troponin is a protein that helps transport oxygen throughout the body: This statement is incorrect. While proteins in the blood may contribute to oxygen transport, troponin's primary role is in muscle contraction, particularly in the heart.

D. Troponin is a heart muscle protein that appears in the bloodstream when there is damage to the heart: This is the correct answer. Troponin is a protein found in cardiac muscle cells, and when there is damage to the heart, such as during a myocardial infarction, troponin is released into the bloodstream. Elevated troponin levels in the blood are indicative of myocardial injury or infarction.