Key Concepts
Overview
Upper Respiratory Infections (Respiratory) links assessment, oxygen delivery, airway management, infection prevention, and critical care monitoring to nursing judgment: protect airway and breathing, titrate oxygen per orders and targets, recognize acute deterioration (silent chest, fatigue, rising CO₂, tension pneumothorax), support ventilation and chest drainage safely, and escalate when respiratory failure threatens perfusion or mentation. US NCLEX-RN items often test unstable vs stable, airway first, and ventilator/chest tube emergencies. Pathway context (RN, United States). Continue with related lessons from the pathway lesson hub. Learning objectives - Integrate inspection, work of breathing, SpO₂, ABG when shown, breath sounds, ventilator/chest tube cues, and mentation to identify respiratory emergencies and complications. - Select nursing interventions and teaching aligned with orders, scope, RT and provider plans, and facility policy. - Communicate early when findings suggest complete obstruction, tension pneumothorax, massive hemothorax, ventilator failure, sudden desaturation with altered LOC, or rapid clinical decline. Why it matters for nursing care: Upper Respiratory Infections requires early recognition, careful trend assessment, and rapid prioritization when the patient begins to deteriorate. Clinical decisions should connect the underlying pathophysiology to the...