A post-op patient receiving opioid analgesia has a respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min. What is the nurse’s immediate concern?

Correct option is A

Respiratory rate <12/min in a patient on opioids indicates respiratory depression, the most dangerous side effect, requiring urgent monitoring and possibly naloxone.
Explanation of options: (a) ✔ Correct; RR <12 = opioid respiratory depression. (b) ✘ Not normal; RR <12 is clinically significant. (c) ✘ Anxiety causes hyperventilation (↑RR), not ↓RR. (d) ✘ Hyperventilation = rapid breathing, opposite finding.