Question

A patient with COPD was consistently displaying oxygen saturation levels of 90% on room air. The nursing assistant added supplementary oxygen at 2 L per minute via nasal cannula and then increased it to 4 L per minute. The oxygen saturation continues at 91% and the patient is dozing throughout the day. What should the nurse do first?

a) Remove the supplementary oxygen and check the SPO2 levels
b) Switch the nasal cannula to a mask
c) Check a full set of vital signs
d) Increase the oxygen ti 6 L per minute via nasal cannula

Answer 1

The nurse should remove the supplementary oxygen and check the SPO2 levels of the patient.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should first remove the supplementary oxygen and check the SPO2 levels of the patient. The patient's oxygen saturation levels have only slightly increased after adding supplementary oxygen, and they are still relatively low. By removing the supplementary oxygen, the nurse can assess if the patient's oxygen saturation levels change and if further interventions are necessary.