A 67-year-old male is unconscious, is sitting in a chair, and has agonal respirations. His wife states that he was up all night with difficulty breathing and chest discomfort but would not go to the hospital. Physical examination reveals pink, frothy sputum in the airway; cold, diaphoretic skin; and rales audible without a stethoscope. HR = 108, BP = 74 mmHg by palpation, RR = 4, SaO2 = 82%. The monitor shows sinus tachycardia. Which of the following is the highest priority when treating this patient?
A) Immediate transport
B) Determining whether the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate order
C) Dopamine infusion
D) Intubation
D
You might also like to view...
The distance between two consecutive peaks of a sine wave is referred to as _______________ and is represented by the Greek letter lambda ().
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
Any geriatric trauma patient with altered level of consciousness should be evaluated for all of the following, EXCEPT:
a. hypoglycemia b. shock c. head injury d. abdominal distention
The Latin term parens patriae means " __________ of the people."
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
Which of the following would be the best way to remove adhesive tape?
A. Pull against the direction of the hair growth. B. Pull the skin away from the tape. C. Pull all at once and get it over with. D. Pull against gravity.