You are transporting a 42-year-old male who experienced blunt abdominal trauma. He is receiving oxygen at 12 L/min via a nonrebreathing mask, and full spinal precautions have been applied. During your reassessment, you note his level of consciousness has decreased and his respirations have become shallow. You should:
A. perform a comprehensive secondary assessment to determine why his clinical status has changed.
B. insert an airway adjunct if he will tolerate it and begin assisting his ventilations with a bag-mask device.
C. reassess his vital signs and then notify the receiving hospital of the change in his clinical status.
D. suction his oropharynx to ensure it is clear of secretions and then increase the oxygen flow rate to 15 L/min.
Answer: B. insert an airway adjunct if he will tolerate it and begin assisting his ventilations with a bag-mask device.
You might also like to view...
All of the following are symptoms of otitis media EXCEPT:
A) pain. B) edema. C) sinus infection. D) pus.
A 72 year-old female post stem cell transplant patient in the ICU is complaining of difficulty breathing and is noted to have diffuse fluffy infiltrates on chest X-ray. The B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) test result demonstrates 700 pg/mL. What is the patient's possible condition?
A. severe heart failure B. respiratory distress syndrome C. severe renal failure D. moderate heart failure