Which change is expected in an 8-month pregnant patient?

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Multiple Choice

Which change is expected in an 8-month pregnant patient?

Explanation:
In late pregnancy, the body ramps up ventilation to meet higher oxygen needs and to remove more CO2. Progesterone increases the respiratory drive, so breathing can become more frequent and/or deeper. At the same time, the growing uterus elevates the diaphragm, which reduces the air held at rest (functional residual capacity) and leads the lungs to rely more on increased tidal volume to ventilate effectively. This overall boost in ventilation commonly shows up as an increased respiratory rate in an eight-month pregnant patient. The other options don’t fit the physiological changes: blood volume actually rises, heart rate tends to increase, and the respiratory rate is not typically reduced.

In late pregnancy, the body ramps up ventilation to meet higher oxygen needs and to remove more CO2. Progesterone increases the respiratory drive, so breathing can become more frequent and/or deeper. At the same time, the growing uterus elevates the diaphragm, which reduces the air held at rest (functional residual capacity) and leads the lungs to rely more on increased tidal volume to ventilate effectively. This overall boost in ventilation commonly shows up as an increased respiratory rate in an eight-month pregnant patient. The other options don’t fit the physiological changes: blood volume actually rises, heart rate tends to increase, and the respiratory rate is not typically reduced.

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