A 45-year-old male client shares with the nurse that he has noticed th

A 45-year-old male client shares with the nurse that he has noticed that when he is anxious he feels short of breath.

The nurse shares with the client that dyspnea can be caused by many conditions and that the cli-ent can make an objective assessment of the severity of the dyspnea by using which of the fol-lowing?
1. Peak expiratory flow rate meter (PEFR)
2. Chest x-ray examination
3. Pulmonary function test
4. Visual analog scale from 1 to 10

ANSWER

ANS: 4
The use of a visual analog scale (VAS) helps clients to make an objective assessment of their dyspnea. The visual analog scale is a 100-mm vertical line; 0 is equated with no dyspnea, and 100 is equated with the worst breathlessness the client has experienced. The use of the VAS to eval-uate the level of a client’s dyspnea is useful in evaluating nursing interventions designed to re-duce dyspnea. The PEFR reflects changes in large airway sizes and is an excellent predictor of overall airway resistance in the client with asthma. Daily measurement is for early detection of asthma exacerbations. Chest x-ray examination is used to observe the lung fields for fluid, mass-es, fractures, pneumothorax, and other abnormal processes. The pulmonary function test deter-mines the ability of the lungs to efficiently exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is used to differentiate pulmonary obstructive from restrictive disease.