Practice Question
A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving propofol for an outpatient colonoscopy. Which of the following is a priority for the nurse to monitor?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Respiratory rate
Rationale:
🟨 Propofol can cause respiratory depression and airway obstruction, making ventilation the top safety priority.
🟨 Monitoring respiratory rate helps detect early hypoventilation before oxygen saturation drops significantly.
🟨 In procedural sedation, airway and breathing are assessed continuously because deterioration can occur rapidly.
🟨 Respiratory rate trends guide immediate interventions such as stimulation, airway repositioning, oxygen support, or bag-mask ventilation if needed.
🟨 While blood pressure is also important, the most immediate life-threatening complication of propofol is inadequate breathing.
Blood pressure
🟨 Propofol can lower blood pressure, but respiratory compromise is the more urgent, immediate threat.
🟨 BP is monitored closely, but airway/breathing come first.
Temperature
🟨 Temperature changes are not the primary acute risk during short procedural sedation.
🟨 It does not detect the most immediate propofol complication.
Pain level
🟨 Pain assessment is important, but it is secondary to airway and ventilation monitoring.
🟨 Sedation can mask pain reporting and does not replace physiologic monitoring.
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This question is from ☑️ ATI RN Pharmacology 2023 VIII which contains 68 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI Pharmacology
- Answer Choices: 4