A client is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The nurse will assess the client for which condition that can alter this client's respiratory function?

Question

1. Condition that affects the airway.
2. Condition that affects transport.
3. Conditions that affect the movement of air.
4. Conditions that affect diffusion.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: Conditions that affect the airway are those that partially or totally occlude the respiratory passages.
Rationale 2: Once oxygen moves into the lungs and diffuses into the capillaries, the cardiovascular system transports the oxygen to all body tissues, and transports CO2 from the cells back to the lungs, where it can be exhaled from the body. Conditions that decrease cardiac output, such as congestive heart failure or hypovolemia, affect tissue oxygenation and also the body's ability to compensate for hypoxemia.
Rationale 3: Conditions that affect the movement of air would alter the client's breathing pattern.
Rationale 4: Impaired diffusion can affect levels of gases in the blood, particularly oxygen, which does not diffuse as readily as does carbon dioxide. Hypoxemia, or reduced oxygen levels in the blood, can be caused by conditions that impair diffusion at the alveolar–capillary level such as pulmonary edema or atelectasis, or by low hemoglobin levels.