A client smoking in his bathroom has dropped a cigarette butt into a wastepaper basket, which begins to smolder. Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?

A. Assessing a client who experiences unilateral calf pain when ambulating.
Unilateral calf pain in a client who is ambulating can be indicative of a potential deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a serious condition that requires prompt assessment and intervention. DVTs are a risk after surgery, and early detection is crucial to prevent complications such as a pulmonary embolism. Assessing the client experiencing calf pain is the priority to determine the cause and initiate appropriate interventions.

B. Reassuring the partner of a client who sustained a closed head injury:
While providing support and reassurance to family members is important, it is not as urgent as assessing a client with potential signs of a DVT.

C. Taking a telephone prescription about a client who is to be transferred from PACU:
While obtaining and implementing orders in a timely manner is important, assessing and addressing a potential DVT takes precedence due to the immediate risk to the client's well-being.

D. Reinforcing a client’s dressing for the surgical site of an above-the-knee amputation:
Dressing reinforcement is important for wound care, but it is not as urgently needed as assessing a client with possible signs of a DVT. The assessment of calf pain takes priority.

A. PEEP decreases the peak respiratory pressures:
PEEP may increase peak respiratory pressures, especially during inspiration, but its primary purpose is to prevent alveolar collapse and improve oxygenation.

B. “PEEP increases the number of breaths the patient takes on his own.”:
PEEP does not increase the number of breaths the patient takes. It primarily affects the quality of ventilation by preventing alveolar collapse.

C. “PEEP augments the patient’s overall tidal volumes.”:
PEEP does not necessarily increase overall tidal volumes. It focuses on maintaining positive pressure at the end of expiration to prevent alveolar collapse.

D. “PEEP improves oxygenation by keeping alveoli open after exhalation.”
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is used in mechanical ventilation to maintain positive pressure in the airways and alveoli at the end of the respiratory cycle (expiration). This helps prevent alveolar collapse and improves oxygenation by keeping the alveoli open, particularly in patients with conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). PEEP is commonly used to increase functional residual capacity (FRC) and improve oxygenation.