A 48-year-old client arrives at the emergency department (ED) from work, where she was exposed to an aerosolized chemical and became extremely short of breath.  The client arrived in moderate distress with tachypnea and audible wheezes.  

The client has a medical history of asthma hypertension and had a myocardial infarction two years ago. 

1705 – 2.5 mg of Albuterol was administered via nebulizer, and during the treatment, client reported a sudden onset of chest pain.  The client became pale and diaphoretic.  The nebulizer treatment was immediately discontinued, and oxygen at 2 liters nasal cannula was re-applied.