What should the nurse do to help a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) maintain a patent airway and achieve maximal gas exchange?

Instruct the client to drink 2 L of fluid daily is what the nurse should do to help a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) maintain a patent airway and achieve maximal gas exchange. This will help maintain the movement of fluid secretion in the airways of the client. Also clients with COPD are encouraged to exhale through pursed lips.

Maintaining the client on bed rest will not do much in achieving maximal gas exchange in clients with COPD.
Administering anxiolytics, as ordered, to control anxiety is not necessary and it will not help achieve maximal gas exchange. Anxiolytics are known to cause sedation and possible respiratory depression which shouldn't be encouraged.

Administering pain medication as ordered is not necessary as clients with COPD are not in pain.

Instruct the client to drink 2 l of fluid daily.-rationale: mobilizing secretions is crucial to maintaining a patent airway and maximizing gas exchange in the client with copd. measures that help mobilize secretions include drinking 2 l of fluid daily, practicing controlled pursed-lip breathing, and engaging in moderate activity. anxiolytics rarely are recommended for the client with copd because they may cause sedation and subsequent infection from inadequate mobilization of secretions. because copd rarely causes pain, pain medication isnt indicated.client needs category: physiological integrityclient needs subcategory: reduction of risk potentialcognitive level: applicationreference: smeltzer, s.c., et al. brunner & suddarths textbook of medical-surgical nursing, 11th ed. philadelphia: lippincott williams & wilkins, 2008, p. 704.