A Patient Who Is Septic Is Restless and Agitated

question 5

Multiple Choice

A patient who is septic is restless and agitated. The chest X-ray results indicate bilateral patchy infiltrates. As the patient's condition continues to deteriorate, which finding would raise the nurse's concern that the patient is developing ARDS?

• A) Hypertension
• B) Hyperventilation
• C) Decreasing HCO₃
• D) Refractory hypoxemia