Question

With severe pulmonary embolus, the client will look as though they are __________.

a) Anxious
b) Fatigued
c) Gasping for air
d) Cyanotic

Answer 1

c) Gasping for air

A client with a severe pulmonary embolus will most likely be c) Gasping for air, due to the impaired blood flow and oxygenation in the lungs.

Step-by-step explanation:

When experiencing a severe pulmonary embolus, a client will exhibit signs of significant respiratory distress due to the blockage of arteries in the lungs by blood clots, fat, air bubbles, or tumor cells, impairing blood flow and oxygenation. The correct answer is c) Gasping for air, as the blood's inability to obtain oxygen from the lungs will lead to gasping or wheezing in an attempt to draw in more air. Symptoms such as breathlessness, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen), and severe anxiety can occur, but the primary and most immediate response to a significant embolism is struggling for air, characterized by gasping breaths.