A 68-year-old client is 24 hours post-operative following an open cholecystectomy. The client has been guarding the abdomen and is reluctant to use the incentive spirometer due to incisional pain. The nurse notes shallow respirations at breaths/min and an oxygen saturation () of on room air. A newly drawn arterial blood gas (ABG) reveals the following: pH , mmHg, mEq/L, and mmHg. Which immediate action should the nurse implement to reduce the risk of further physiological deterioration?
- Elevate the head of the bed to at least 45 degrees and guide the client through deep breathing exercises.Cevap
- BAdminister a prescribed intravenous sodium bicarbonate infusion to correct the acid-base imbalance.
- CPlace the client strictly on their back without pillows to minimize physical stress on the surgical site.
- DAdminister the highest prescribed dose of an intravenous opioid to completely eliminate the incisional pain.
Cevap
The correct action is to elevate the head of the bed to at least 45 degrees (semi-Fowler's position) and assist the client with deep breathing exercises.
The client is experiencing uncompensated respiratory acidosis (pH , mmHg) and hypoxemia due to shallow breathing (hypoventilation) from post-operative incisional splinting. Elevating the head of the bed promotes optimal lung expansion by allowing the diaphragm to drop, which improves ventilation and gas exchange. Deep breathing exercises directly address the root cause by increasing alveolar ventilation and blowing off the retained carbon dioxide.
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Anahtar Kavram
Recognition and immediate non-pharmacological management of post-operative respiratory acidosis.