If a patient with a chest injury only inhales small amounts of air per breath, he or she:

If a patient with a chest injury only inhales small amounts of air per breath, he or she:

• A. must increase his or her respiratory rate to maintain adequate minute volume.
• B. will eliminate more carbon dioxide than if he or she were breathing deeply.
• C. often breathes at a slower rate because of lung damage caused by the injury.
• D. will maintain adequate minute volume if his or her respiratory rate stays the same.

Answer: (A)

When a patient with a chest injury inhales only small amounts of air with each breath, their tidal volume—the amount of air moved in or out of the lungs during each respiratory cycle—is reduced. To maintain adequate minute volume (the total amount of air moved in or out in one minute), the patient must compensate for this lower tidal volume by increasing their respiratory rate. Minute volume is the product of tidal volume and respiratory rate; thus, if the tidal volume is low due to shallow breaths, an increase in the respiratory rate becomes necessary to ensure enough air (and therefore oxygen) is brought into the lungs to meet the body’s needs and to effectively exchange gases. When shallow breathing occurs, there’s a risk of not eliminating carbon dioxide adequately, which would not only lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream but also impact oxygen delivery to tissues. Maintaining the same respiratory rate with reduced tidal volumes could lead to insufficient ventilation. This emphasizes the importance of increasing the respiratory rate to maintain adequate ventilation in patients with compromised airway function or injuries.

When a patient with a chest injury inhales only small amounts of air with each breath, their tidal volume—the amount of air moved in or out of the lungs during each respiratory cycle—is reduced. To maintain adequate minute volume (the total amount of air moved in or out in one minute), the patient must compensate for this lower tidal volume by increasing their respiratory rate. Minute volume is the product of tidal volume and respiratory rate; thus, if the tidal volume is low due to shallow breaths, an increase in the respiratory rate becomes necessary to ensure enough air (and therefore oxygen) is brought into the lungs to meet the body’s needs and to effectively exchange gases.

When shallow breathing occurs, there’s a risk of not eliminating carbon dioxide adequately, which would not only lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream but also impact oxygen delivery to tissues. Maintaining the same respiratory rate with reduced tidal volumes could lead to insufficient ventilation. This emphasizes the importance of increasing the respiratory rate to maintain adequate ventilation in patients with compromised airway function or injuries.