Question

A nursing student asks if a client diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is at risk if he receives oxygen at a level that increases the PO2 above 60 mm Hg. The best response would be:

1) The client's ventilation will be severely depressed.
2) The client will increase his respiratory drive.
3) Keeping the client on oxygen to maintain the PO2 at above 60 mm Hg will cure the disease process.
4) Administering oxygen at this level will assist with the removal of carbon dioxide.

Answer 1

The correct response for a COPD patient receiving oxygen that increases PO2 above 60 mm Hg is that the client's ventilation might be severely depressed as too much oxygen can suppress their respiratory drive. This does not cure COPD or assist in removing CO2 efficiently. The correct option is 1) The client's ventilation will be severely depressed.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a client diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receives oxygen that increases the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) above 60 mm Hg, it may have a potentially deleterious effect. The most accurate response is that the client's ventilation will be severely depressed.

This is because in some COPD patients, their respiratory drive is partially dictated by low oxygen levels rather than high carbon dioxide levels; providing too much supplemental oxygen can ultimately reduce their respiratory drive. It is a common misconception that keeping the client on oxygen to maintain the PO2 at above 60 mm Hg will cure the disease process, but this is not correct.

Oxygen therapy does not cure COPD; it is meant to manage hypoxemia and alleviate symptoms. Moreover, administering oxygen at this level does not necessarily assist with the removal of carbon dioxide; in fact, it could lead to an accumulation of CO2 and respiratory acidosis in these patients.