A nurse is reviewing arterial blood gas results for a client diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The nurse should expect which abnormal finding?
Increased arterial oxygen
Increased pH
Increased carbon dioxide
Decreased alveolar function
The Correct Answer is C
A. Increased arterial oxygen: Clients with COPD typically experience chronic hypoxemia due to alveolar destruction, airway inflammation, and mucus production, which impair gas exchange. Rather than increased oxygen levels, they often have a decreased PaO₂, requiring supplemental oxygen therapy. However, excessive oxygen administration can suppress their respiratory drive, worsening CO₂ retention.
B. Increased pH: COPD is associated with respiratory acidosis due to chronic CO₂ retention from inadequate alveolar ventilation. While the kidneys compensate by increasing bicarbonate retention, the pH usually remains low or near normal in chronic cases rather than becoming elevated. A higher pH would indicate alkalosis, which is not typical in COPD unless there is an additional metabolic disturbance.
C. Increased carbon dioxide: COPD causes airway obstruction and reduced alveolar ventilation, leading to CO₂ retention (hypercapnia). As CO₂ accumulates in the blood, it lowers the pH, resulting in respiratory acidosis. Chronic hypercapnia is a hallmark of advanced COPD, and in response, the kidneys retain bicarbonate to partially compensate, stabilizing the pH over time but leaving PaCO₂ elevated.
D. Decreased alveolar function: While COPD does lead to progressive alveolar damage and reduced gas exchange, this is a structural and functional change rather than a specific abnormality seen in arterial blood gases. The primary ABG finding in COPD is hypercapnia, which reflects inadequate ventilation and CO₂ retention rather than just decreased alveolar function alone.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Cultural differences. While cultural beliefs may influence end-of-life decisions, the primary issue in this scenario is not cultural misunderstanding but rather the conflict between the client’s documented wishes and the family's demands. Cultural differences typically pertain to variations in values, traditions, or beliefs, rather than legal and ethical dilemmas regarding patient autonomy.
B. Ethical conflict. The nurse is experiencing moral distress due to a conflict between ethical principles—specifically, the principle of patient autonomy (respecting the client’s right to make their own healthcare decisions) and beneficence (providing care that benefits the client). The client’s living will, a legally binding document, states Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), yet the children are insisting on full resuscitation. The nurse’s distress arises from witnessing actions that contradict the client’s wishes and ethical nursing responsibilities.
C. Competition between groups. There is no indication that different groups, such as healthcare teams or family members, are competing for resources or control. The conflict stems from an ethical dilemma rather than rivalry or organizational disputes.
D. Scarcity, safety, and security. This situation does not involve limited resources, threats to safety, or security concerns. The distress is rooted in the ethical dilemma of honoring the client’s advance directive versus the family’s insistence on aggressive resuscitation measures.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Opening and utilizing supplies that are necessary for the task. The efficiency domain in healthcare quality focuses on minimizing waste, optimizing resource utilization, and reducing unnecessary costs. By ensuring that only necessary supplies are used, healthcare facilities can prevent waste, control expenses, and enhance operational efficiency, making this choice the best representation of the efficiency domain.
B. Working to reduce wait times in the emergency department. Reducing wait times falls under the timeliness domain rather than efficiency. Timeliness ensures that patients receive care without unnecessary delays, improving access to treatment and patient outcomes. While efficiency and timeliness are related, reducing wait times primarily aligns with improving prompt care delivery rather than minimizing waste.
C. Using an interpreter for patients who do not speak the health-care provider's language. This action falls under the equity domain, which ensures that all individuals receive fair and unbiased care regardless of language, socioeconomic status, or cultural background. Providing language services improves access to quality healthcare but does not specifically address efficiency.
D. Utilizing the CAUTI bundle to prevent urinary tract infections when placing indwelling urinary catheters. This initiative falls under the safety domain, which focuses on preventing harm to patients through evidence-based practices. Implementing infection prevention measures improves patient safety but is not directly related to efficiency, which focuses on cost-effectiveness and resource management.
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