Nurses use a combination of subjective and objective methods to assess respiratory status. Key components include:
Subjective Assessment: Asking the patient about symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain. Objective Assessment: Observing signs such as respiratory rate, rhythm, and depth, use of accessory muscles, and cyanosis. Auscultation: Listening to lung sounds using a stethoscope to detect abnormalities like wheezing, crackles, or diminished breath sounds. Pulse Oximetry: Measuring oxygen saturation (SpO2) to evaluate oxygenation status. Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs): Analyzing blood samples to assess oxygenation, ventilation, and acid-base balance. Peak Flow Meter: Measuring peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) to assess airway obstruction.
