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A nurse is caring for a client who has respiratory alkalosis and is hyperventilating Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A.

Have the client place their head between their knees.

B.

Have the client breath into a paper bag.

C.

Plan to administer sodium bicarbonate to the client

D.

Plan to administer insulin to the client

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

A.    Having the client place their head between their knees is a measure used to alleviate symptoms associated with hyperventilation but does not directly address the underlying respiratory alkalosis.
B.    Having the client breathe into a paper bag helps retain carbon dioxide, which can help reverse respiratory alkalosis by increasing PaCO2 levels and subsequently decreasing pH.
C.    Administering sodium bicarbonate would worsen alkalosis by further increasing the pH and bicarbonate levels.
D.    Administering insulin is not indicated for respiratory alkalosis and hyperventilation.
 


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Related Questions

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A. Vasopressin does not typically affect blood pressure significantly.
B. Vasopressin is not used to lower blood sugar levels; it is primarily used for water retention.
C. Vasopressin, also known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH), acts on the kidneys to decrease urine output, making this the expected outcome of therapy.
D. Specific gravity of urine may increase with vasopressin therapy due to decreased urine output, rather than decrease.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Respiratory Acidosis, both compensated and uncompensated, is characterized by an elevated PaCO2, which is not present in this case.
B. The elevated pH (7.5) and HCO3 (34 mmol/L) indicate metabolic alkalosis. The elevated pH and the slightly elevated PaCO2 (40 mm Hg) suggest the partially compensated state, which is the respiratory compensation attempting to correct the alkalosis.
C. The fact that the PaCO2 is not low rules out respiratory alkalosis.
D. The arterial blood gas values indicate a high pH (7.5), a normal PaCO2 (40 mm Hg), and an elevated HCO3 (34 mmol/L), which are indicative of metabolic alkalosis. However, the elevated pH and the slightly elevated PaCO2 (40 mm Hg) suggest a partially compensated state.

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