A patient is admitted to the critical care unit with acute respiratory failure secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The patient has a 15-year history of emphysema and bronchitis

Question

On inspection, the nurse observes that the patient is experiencing air trapping. While auscultating the chest, the nurse notes the presence of coarse, rumbling, low-pitched sounds in the right middle and lower lobes. On further inspection of the patient, the nurse observes that his fingers appear discolored. This is a result of a. clubbing. c. peripheral cyanosis.
b. central cyanosis. d. chronic tuberculosis.

Answer 1

C
Discoloration of the fingers is an indication of peripheral cyanosis. Central cyanosis occurs when the unsaturated hemoglobin of arterial blood exceeds 5 g/dL and is considered a life-threatening situation. Clubbing refers to an abnormality of the fingers caused by chronically low blood levels of oxygen often related to a heart or lung disease.