Question

You are caring for a 2-year-old unconscious patient who is intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation. The child's heart rate suddenly drops to 40/min and his color becomes mottled. You should respond to these changes by:

a.Increasing the ventilator rate
b.Using a resuscitation bag to provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen
c.Increasing tidal volume
d.Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)

Answer 1

In response to a 2-year-old patient with a sudden heart rate drop and mottled skin while intubated, manual ventilation with a resuscitation bag and 100% oxygen is the correct action.

Step-by-step explanation:

When caring for a 2-year-old unconscious patient who is intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation and you notice a sudden drop in heart rate to 40/min and a change in skin color to mottled, the appropriate response would be to use a resuscitation bag to provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen. This scenario suggests the child may be experiencing a critical situation such as potential respiratory or cardiac failure, and increasing the oxygen delivery can be vital to improving the child's heart rate and overall condition. Adjustments to the ventilator settings alone, such as increasing the tidal volume, respiratory rate, or PEEP, might not address the underlying issue and could delay essential resuscitation efforts.