A patient using a negative pressure ventilator is assessed by the respiratory therapist and found to have a blood pressure of 85/40 mm Hg and a heart rate of 130 beats/min and thready
The physician orders compression stockings for the patient, but the clinical status is the same 24 hours after placement of the compression stockings. What is the most likely cause of this pa-tient's hypotension?
a. Diarrhea
b. Dehydration
c. Septicemia
d. Abdominal blood pooling
ANS: D
Negative pressure ventilators can cause pooling of blood in the abdominal vasculature. This leads to a decrease in venous return to the heart and, subsequently, a reduction in cardiac output. The result is hypotension, especially if the patient is hypovolemic.
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