Question

After change-of-shift report on a ventilator weaning unit, which patient should the nurse assess first?

a. Patient who failed a spontaneous breathing trial and has been placed in a rest mode on the ventilator
b. Patient who is intubated and has continuous partial pressure end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) monitoring
c. Patient who was successfully weaned and extubated 4 hours ago and has no urine output for the last 6 hours
d. Patient with a central venous O2 saturation (ScvO2) of 69% while on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP)

Answer 1

The nurse should assess the patient with a central venous O2 saturation (ScvO2) of 69% while on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) first.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this situation, the nurse should assess the patient with a central venous O2 saturation (ScvO2) of 69% while on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) first.

Low ScvO2 levels indicate inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues and can be a sign of poor respiratory function or decreased cardiac output. This patient may be at risk for respiratory distress or worsening of their condition while on BiPAP, and prompt assessment and intervention are necessary.