A patient has undergone surgery and is receiving continuous supplemental oxygen via a 30% air-entrainment mask

He or she becomes pale and short of breath during incentive spirometry. Pulse oximetry reveals a significant drop in oxygen saturation during incentive spirometry. The respiratory therapist should do which of the following for subsequent incentive spirometry therapy?
a. Switch to a different type of incentive spirometer.
b. Request that incentive spirometry be dis-continued.
c. Cut a hole in the mask for the incentive spirometer's mouthpiece.
d. Use a 3 L/min nasal cannula during incen-tive spirometry.

ANS: D
The drop in oxygen saturation during incentive spirometry is due to the interruption of oxygen therapy. For this patient it is necessary to maintain oxygen therapy during incentive spirometry. Because the use of a mask is difficult during incentive spirometry, a nasal cannula with a flow rate of 3 L/min will approximate the air-entrainment mask's 30% supplemental oxygen.