What symptom or sign should you watch for that may indicate insufficient oxygen delivery despite therapy?

• A. Stable vitals and improved breath sounds.
• B. Hyperactivity and euphoria.
• C. Worsening dyspnea or falling SpO2 on oxygen therapy.
• D. Weight gain.

Answer: (C)

Monitoring for insufficient oxygen delivery means looking for signs that tissue oxygenation isn’t actually improving with therapy. The strongest warning sign is worsening shortness of breath or a dropping SpO2 while the patient is on supplemental oxygen. This indicates the current oxygen delivery isn’t meeting the body's needs and requires immediate reassessment: verify the equipment is functioning and delivering the prescribed flow, ensure the fit is correct, confirm the target SpO2 range, and adjust the FiO2 or escalate support as needed. Other options don’t reflect ongoing hypoxemia: stable vitals with improved breath sounds point to improvement, while hyperactivity and euphoria or weight gain aren’t reliable indicators of insufficient oxygen delivery in this context.