Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

If a patient's arterial blood gas shows hypoxemia, which of the following is the best immediate intervention?

1. Increase oxygen flow rate

2. Administer an IV fluid bolus

3. Perform chest physiotherapy

4. Encourage deep breathing exercises

The correct answer is: Increase oxygen flow rate

Increasing the oxygen flow rate is the most appropriate immediate intervention for a patient exhibiting hypoxemia, which is defined as a deficiency of oxygen in the blood. When assessing a patient's arterial blood gas and identifying hypoxemia, the primary goal is to improve oxygenation as quickly as possible. Increasing the oxygen flow rate enhances the level of oxygen available to the patient, directly addressing the low oxygen saturation in the blood. In scenarios of hypoxemia, it is crucial to act swiftly to restore adequate oxygen levels. While options such as IV fluid boluses or chest physiotherapy may be useful in certain clinical situations, they do not provide immediate relief for low oxygen levels. Encouraging deep breathing exercises can help improve ventilation and oxygen saturation over time but is not as rapid or effective as increasing oxygen supply when faced with acute hypoxemia. Therefore, adjusting the oxygen flow rate stands out as the most effective and immediate response to address the critically low oxygen levels present in hypoxemia.