Final answer:
The goal of providing pressurized oxygen at the end of expiration is to open collapsed alveoli, improving lung compliance, increasing lung volume, and reducing the work of breathing for patients with conditions like restrictive lung diseases or respiratory distress syndrome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of providing pressurized oxygen at the end of expiration for a patient with collapsed alveoli is D. To open collapsed alveoli. This is necessary because at the end of expiration, especially in patients with conditions that affect lung compliance or increase airway resistance, the alveoli can collapse, preventing proper gas exchange. The application of pressure with supplemental oxygen helps to keep these small air sacs open, thereby increasing the compliance of the lung, which refers to the ability of the lungs to stretch and hold air.
Pressurized oxygen at the end of expiration, a technique often referred to as positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), is crucial for patients with restrictive lung diseases like fibrosis or conditions like respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants where surfactant deficiency leads to high surface tension and collapsed alveoli. By keeping alveoli open, PEEP improves oxygenation by increasing lung volume and decreasing the work of breathing for the patient.