If a nervous patient hyperventilates, what should be done?

When a nervous patient hyperventilates, the focus is on helping them to normalize their breathing and reduce their anxiety. Having the patient breathe into a paper bag is an effective method for this situation because it can help to restore the balance of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. Hyperventilation often leads to a significant drop in carbon dioxide levels, causing symptoms like lightheadedness and tingling in the extremities. By breathing into a paper bag, the patient re-inhales some of the carbon dioxide they exhaled, which can alleviate those symptoms and help them feel more grounded.

Calmly talking the patient through the situation is also beneficial, but it may not directly address the physiological aspects of hyperventilation as effectively as the paper bag technique does. While administering oxygen might seem intuitive, it could inadvertently worsen the symptoms due to further altering the levels of carbon dioxide. Encouraging the patient to drink water does not address the breathing issue and may not have any calming effect in the context of hyperventilation. Thus, breathing into a paper bag stands out as the most appropriate action to take in this scenario.