NR325 Adult Health II ME Practice Test

The immediate priority is addressing airway, breathing, oxygenation and rapid intervention. In acute pulmonary edema from heart failure, fluid floods the alveoli and severely impairs gas exchange, leading to rapid hypoxemia and respiratory distress. The first actions are to secure and support the airway as needed, provide oxygen to correct hypoxemia, and use strategies (such as noninvasive ventilation or CPAP) to improve ventilation and reduce work of breathing. Only after the patient’s oxygenation and stability are being addressed do therapies like diuresis and fluid restriction come into play. Antibiotics and pain control don’t directly treat the immediate gas-exchange problem in this scenario.