The nurse observes a client with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is excessively drooling and prepares to suction the client's oral cavity.
Which action should the nurse include?

The correct answer is choiceb. Chest pain and dysrhythmia.

Choice A rationale:

Decreasing gastrointestinal (GI) cramping and nausea are not typical adverse effects of vasopressin.In fact, vasopressin can cause abdominal cramps and nausea as side effects.

Choice B rationale:

Chest pain and dysrhythmia are significant adverse effects of vasopressin.Vasopressin can cause vasoconstriction, leading to myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias.

Choice C rationale:

Vasodilation of the extremities is not an adverse effect of vasopressin.Instead, vasopressin typically causes vasoconstriction, which can lead to peripheral ischemia.

Choice D rationale:

Hypotension and tachycardia are not common adverse effects of vasopressin.Vasopressin is more likely to cause hypertension due to its vasoconstrictive properties.

Choice A rationale:

Supplemental oxygen is given to the patient to prevent hypoxia and tissue damage due to pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, which may fill with fluid or pus, causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. Hypoxia occurs when the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level. It can cause serious damage to your heart, brain, and other organs. Hence, supplemental oxygen is administered to ensure that the patient’s tissues receive adequate oxygen.

Choice B rationale:

While supplemental oxygen can indirectly help lower blood pressure by improving oxygen supply and reducing strain on the heart, it is not primarily used for this purpose. Enalapril, which the patient is already taking, is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that is commonly used to lower blood pressure and reduce the workload of the heart.

Choice C rationale:

Supplemental oxygen does increase the oxygen saturation and improve respiratory function. However, this is a more general rationale for providing supplemental oxygen and not specific to this patient’s condition of pneumonia.

Choice D rationale:

Supplemental oxygen does not directly dilate the bronchioles or decrease inflammation in the lungs. Medications such as bronchodilators and corticosteroids are typically used for these purposes. In this case, supplemental oxygen is being used to prevent hypoxia and tissue damage due to pneumonia.