A client arrives in the emergency department suffering a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car accident

Question

While assessing this client, the nurse notices the client has an irregular breathing pattern consisting of prolonged inspiratory gasps interrupted by expiratory efforts. The underlying physiological principle for these signs would include:
A) Damage has occurred at the connection between the pneumotaxic and apneustic centers.
B) The client's occipital lobe is no longer functioning.
C) The client must have a leak in the ventricles resulting in a decrease in spinal fluid.
D) The nerves innervating the lungs have been severed in the accident.

Answer 1

Ans: A
Feedback:
Brain injury, which damages the connections between the pneumotaxic and apneustic centers, results in an irregular breathing pattern that consists of prolonged inspiratory gasps interrupted by expiratory efforts. If the occipital lobe was not functioning, the client would have no respiratory effort and require mechanical ventilation. Leaking of spinal fluid would not cause these respiratory signs. If nerves were severed to the lungs, the client would not be able in inflate/deflate the lungs with mechanical ventilation.