A patient complains of shortness of breath during a nebulizer treatment with hypertonic saline. What should the respiratory therapist do first?

When a patient experiences shortness of breath during nebulizer treatment with hypertonic saline, the priority is to ensure the patient's safety and address their immediate symptoms. Discontinuing the therapy is the appropriate first step because hypertonic saline can cause bronchospasm or irritation in some patients, leading to increased airway resistance and shortness of breath.

By stopping the treatment, the respiratory therapist can prevent further exacerbation of the patient's symptoms and assess the situation more thoroughly. It is crucial to monitor the patient's condition and determine whether additional interventions, such as notifying the physician or administering bronchodilators, are necessary after the immediate issue is addressed.

Other options, while they may seem relevant, are not the immediate priority. Adding Albuterol could help open the airways, but it does not address the situation of ongoing distress directly. Switching to normal saline or hypotonic saline also does not take into account the fact that the patient is currently in distress; instead, the first action should be to stop the treatment and evaluate the patient's response further. Therefore, prioritizing the patient's safety by discontinuing the therapy is the correct action.