A patient who is experiencing an acute asthma attack is admitted to the emergency department. Which assessment should the nurse complete first?
a. Listen to the patient's breath sounds.
b. Ask about inhaled corticosteroid use.
c. Determine when the dyspnea started.
d. Obtain the forced expiratory volume (FEV) flow rate.
ANS: A
Assessment of the patient's breath sounds will help determine how effectively the patient is ventilating and whether rapid intubation may be necessary. The length of time the attack has persisted is not as important as determining the patient's status at present. Most patients having an acute attack will be unable to cooperate with an FEV measurement. It is important to know about the medications the patient is using but not as important as assessing the breath sounds.
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