You have been called for a 28-year-old male patient with a history of behavioral problems. He responds to painful stimuli with garbled speech. His airway is patent, but breathing is inadequate. His radial pulse is rapid and his skin cool and moist. He has crackles at the bases of both lungs and the following vital signs: pulse, 108; respirations, 6 breaths/min and shallow; blood pressure, 98/64 mmHg; and SpO2, 92%. A friend informs you that the patient may have drunk a considerable amount of antifreeze, possibly up to 12 hours ago, in a suicide attempt. The first thing you should do is:

Question

A) Start positive pressure ventilation
B) Call poison control
C) Look for confirmation that the antifreeze was ingested
D) Provide low-flow oxygen to increase the pulse oximeter reading to 94%

Answer 1

A) Start positive pressure ventilation