You Are Working in the ED, Caring for a 55-Year-Old

question 62

Multiple Choice

You are working in the ED, caring for a 55-year-old female patient with a long history of COPD. She is more short of breath today than usual, and states that she has an increased cough. She has a tympanic temperature of 99.8°F. You have drawn arterial blood gases with the patient on room air; when the report comes back, it shows that the patient has a PaO₂ of 92 mmHg. Which of the following is most likely?

• A) You have inadvertently drawn a venous sample.
• B) The patient is critically hypoxic and requires assisted ventilation.
• C) This is the typical value for this patient.
• D) The lab performed the test incorrectly.

---

Definitions:

Spatial Neglect

A neurological disorder characterized by a lack of awareness of one side of space, often after a brain injury.

Visual Consciousness

The awareness of visual perceptions, including the ability to recognize, categorize, and react to visual stimuli in one's environment.

Circadian Rhythm

The intrinsic system that manages the sleep-wake pattern, cycling approximately every 24 hours.

Temperature

A physical quantity that expresses hot and cold, measured with a thermometer and scientifically defined through thermodynamic principles.