A patient who is scheduled for gastric bypass surgery asks for information about dumping syndrome. How does the nurse explain dumping syndrome?

A. Wheezes are continuous, high-pitched musical sounds produced by the narrowing of airways, commonly heard in conditions like asthma. They occur mainly during exhalation and are indicative of airflow obstruction.
B. Stridor is a high-pitched, harsh sound that occurs during inspiration, often associated with an upper airway obstruction, such as laryngospasm or a foreign body.
C. Crackles are fine, crackling sounds heard during inspiration, typically due to fluid accumulation in the lungs (e.g., in pneumonia or heart failure).
D. Rhonchi are low-pitched, snoring sounds caused by the obstruction or narrowing of larger airways, often heard in conditions like chronic bronchitis, but they are not high-pitched like wheezes.

A. A peak flow of more than 40% would indicate that the patient's asthma is not in an acute exacerbation. This patient's symptoms, such as confusion and inability to speak, suggest a severe asthma attack, and the peak flow would likely be much lower.
B. Bradycardia is not typically associated with severe asthma exacerbations. Tachycardia is more commonly observed as the body attempts to compensate for hypoxia.
C. Loud and prominent wheezing is usually seen in less severe cases of asthma. In this case, the inability to speak and confusion suggest severe respiratory distress, where wheezing might be diminished or absent due to poor air movement.
D. Deteriorating arterial blood gas (ABG) results, with low oxygen levels (hypoxemia) and elevated carbon dioxide levels (hypercapnia), would be expected in a patient with severe asthma exacerbation. These signs indicate respiratory failure and the need for urgent intervention.