How can the administration of oxygen lead to potential harm and tissue damage in a client?
Oxygen is considered a medication and even though oxygen can be administered initially in the clinical setting by the nurse at 2 L to assist a client who is having difficulty breathing, a physician order should be obtained for ongoing oxygen therapy and the physician should be advised as to the change in client status that required O2 therapy. The administration of oxygen at high levels on a sustained basis can lead to the development of oxygen toxicity. The physiological effects of oxygen toxicity can lead to alveoli collapse and inefficient surfactant production leading to atelectasis and eventually the development of ARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome) which can be life threatening. In addition, the administration of oxygen at high levels to clients who have chronic lung disease can lead to dramatic problems as low oxygen levels provide the primary stimulus for breathing (due to disease compensation) and once high levels of oxygen are administered this leads to a decrease in
