While assessing a client, a nurse detects a bluish tinge to the client's palms, soles, and mucous membranes. Which action should the nurse take next?
a. Ask the client about current medications he or she is taking.
b. Use pulse oximetry to assess the client's oxygen saturation.
c. Auscultate the client's lung fields for adventitious sounds.
d. Palpate the client's bilateral radial and pedal pulses.
ANS: B
Cyanosis can be present when impaired gas exchange occurs. In a client with dark skin, cyanosis can be seen because the palms, soles, and mucous membranes have a bluish tinge. The nurse should assess for systemic oxygenation before continuing with other assessments.
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