Question

The nurse at a healthcare facility is caring for a client who requires an artificial airway. The nurse could use an oral airway for which client?

a) Unconscious client
b) Ambulatory client
c) Pediatric client
d) Non-respiratory distress client

Answer 1

The correct answer is 'a) Unconscious client'. An oral airway is used to maintain an open airway when patients are unconscious and cannot do so on their own, not for ambulatory, pediatric, or non-respiratory distress clients without further indications.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse at a healthcare facility could use an oral airway for an unconscious client. An oral airway is a medical device used to keep a patient's airway open when they are unable to maintain an adequate airway on their own. It is typically used for clients who are unconscious because they can't protect their own airway due to a reduced level of consciousness or those who require airway management during anesthesia. The device helps prevent the tongue from covering the epiglottis, which could obstruct the airway, thus ensuring that air can travel to the lungs without hinderance.

Options such as an ambulatory client, a pediatric client, and a non-respiratory distress client may not be appropriate selections for an oral airway without specific indications. Ambulatory clients are typically awake and able to maintain their own airway, pediatric clients require appropriately sized equipment and consideration of their unique anatomical and physiological needs, and a client not in respiratory distress may not need an artificial airway at all.