Question

After assessing the patient's pulse, you begin to observe her breathing pattern immediately without changing the position of your hand. You do this primarily to?

1) keep the patient from altering the rate, rhythm, or depth of her respiration.
2) use a time-conserving method of evaluating both respiration and pulse rate.
3) offer the reassurance of physical touch while evaluating respiration.

Answer 1

The primary reason for observing a patient's breathing pattern after assessing their pulse without altering hand position is to prevent the patient from changing their breathing pattern involuntarily.

Step-by-step explanation:

When observing a patient's breathing pattern immediately after assessing their pulse without changing the position of your hand, the primary reason for doing so is to keep the patient from altering the rate, rhythm, or depth of her respiration. This is because if a patient is aware that their breathing is being monitored, they may involuntarily change their breathing pattern.

The act of measuring a patient's respiratory rate is crucial, as it can indicate the presence of illness or disease given that the rate may fluctuate during such conditions. The medulla oblongata located in the brain regulates the respiratory rate by responding to changes in levels of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and pH in the blood.