Question

A client comes to the emergency department with acute shortness of breath and a cough that produces pink, frothy sputum. the client is restless and extremely anxious. admission assessment reveals crackles and wheezes, a blood pressure of 82/45 mmhg, a heart rate of 120 bpm, and a respiratory rate of 38 breaths/min. the client's medical history includes hypertension, and heart failure. what is the nurse's priority intervention?

Answer 1

The nurse priority intervention is Pulmonary edema. 
Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. The fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. In most cases, heart problems cause pulmonary edema. It is often caused by cognitive heart failure when the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs. As the pressure in these blood vessels increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces in the lungs.