Question

A client diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is restless and has a low oxygen saturation level. If the client's condition does not improve and the oxygen saturation level continues to decrease, what procedure will the nurse expect to assist with in order to help the client breathe more easily?

A. Intubate the client and control breathing with mechanical ventilation.
B. Increase oxygen administration.
C. Administer a large dose of furosemide (Lasix) IVP stat.
D. Schedule the client for pulmonary surgery.

Answer 1

The nurse should prepare to assist with intubating the client and controlling breathing with mechanical ventilation as the most appropriate step if the client's ARDS worsens and oxygen saturation continues to decrease.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a client diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is restless and has a low oxygen saturation level and the condition worsens to the point where oxygen saturation continues to decrease, the nurse should expect to assist with the procedure of intubating the client and controlling breathing with mechanical ventilation (Answer A). This is because mechanical ventilation can help support and maintain adequate gas exchange in the lungs, which is critical in severe cases of ARDS when other less invasive measures have failed to improve the patient's breathing and oxygenation.

Increasing oxygen administration (Answer B) might be an initial step, but if the oxygen saturation continues to drop, mechanical ventilation is often necessary. Administration of a large dose of furosemide (Lasix) IVP stat (Answer C) is typically for fluid overload but not directly for low oxygen saturation unless related to fluid in the lungs. Schedule the client for pulmonary surgery (Answer D) is not an immediate intervention for acute worsening of ARDS and low oxygen saturation levels.