A nurse is assessing a client who has hypoxemic respiratory failure. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A. "Clients with hypoglycemia cannot participate in religious/cultural fasting.": While fasting can increase the risk of hypoglycemia in clients with type 1 diabetes, it is not absolutely prohibited. With close monitoring and adjustments to insulin and diet, some clients may safely observe fasting.
B. “Keeping supplies on hand to treat hypoglycemic episodes is important.": This is appropriate advice, as clients with type 1 diabetes are at risk for sudden drops in blood glucose. Readily available glucose tablets, juice, or snacks can help promptly correct hypoglycemia.
C. "Clients will usually have obvious manifestations of hypoglycemia.": Some individuals, especially those with long-standing diabetes, may experience hypoglycemia unawareness. They may not have typical warning signs, making early detection more difficult.
D. "Increasing exercise can help with hypoglycemia.”: Exercise generally lowers blood glucose levels and can actually trigger hypoglycemia if not planned with appropriate insulin or carbohydrate adjustments. It does not help treat or prevent hypoglycemia on its own.

A. Pulmonary edema: Pulmonary edema occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs, impairing gas exchange and leading to hypoxemia. This condition is a common cause of hypoxemic respiratory failure, and patients often present with symptoms such as dyspnea, crackles on auscultation, and hypoxemia. The nurse would expect this finding in a client experiencing hypoxemic respiratory failure.
B. Opioid toxicity: Opioid toxicity can cause respiratory depression, but it typically leads to hypoventilation, which results in hypercapnic respiratory failure (elevated carbon dioxide levels) rather than hypoxemic respiratory failure. Therefore, while opioid toxicity affects breathing, it is not directly associated with hypoxemic respiratory failure.
C. Myasthenia gravis: Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that leads to muscle weakness, including respiratory muscles. While it can cause respiratory failure in severe cases, it does not directly cause hypoxemic respiratory failure. Respiratory failure in myasthenia gravis is often due to insufficient ventilation rather than impaired oxygenation, so this is not the expected finding in hypoxemic respiratory failure.
D. Flail chest: Flail chest occurs due to multiple rib fractures that result in a segment of the chest wall moving paradoxically, impairing ventilation. While this condition can lead to respiratory failure, it typically causes hypercapnic rather than hypoxemic respiratory failure. Therefore, it is less likely to be the cause of hypoxemic respiratory failure in this scenario.