Question

The nurse is caring for a patient with a subarachnoid hemorrhage who is intubated and placed on a mechanical ventilator with 10 cm H2O of peak end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). When monitoring the patient, the nurse will need to notify the health care provider immediately if the patient develops

a. O2 saturation of 93%.
b. green nasogastric tube drainage.
c. respirations of 20 breaths/minute.
d. increased jugular venous distention.

Answer 1

The nurse will need to notify the health care provider immediately if the patient with a subarachnoid hemorrhage on a mechanical ventilator develops increased jugular venous distention.

Step-by-step explanation:

When monitoring a patient with a subarachnoid hemorrhage who is intubated and on a mechanical ventilator with 10 cm H2O of PEEP, the nurse will need to notify the health care provider immediately if the patient develops increased jugular venous distention.

This could indicate a rise in intracranial pressure or cardiac complications, which are emergency situations. While an O2 saturation of 93%, respirations of 20 breaths/minute, and green nasogastric tube drainage are all concerning signs that need to be monitored, they do not typically require immediate notification of a healthcare provider compared to the critical nature of increased jugular venous distention in this scenario.