Chapter 21

After lobectomy for lung cancer, a client receives a chest tube connected to a disposable chest drainage system. The nurse observes that the drainage system is functioning correctly when she notes tidal movements or fluctuations in which compartment of the system as the client breathes?

Water-seal chamber

A nurse is teaching a client about using an incentive spirometer. Which statement by the nurse is correct?

"Before you do the exercise, I'll give you pain medication if you need it."

A client has a sucking stab wound to the chest. Which action should the nurse take first?

Apply a dressing over the wound and tape it on three sides.

Which is a potential complication of a low pressure in the endotracheal tube cuff?

Aspiration pneumonia

A client has been receiving 100% oxygen therapy by way of a nonrebreather mask for several days. Now the client complains of tingling in the fingers and shortness of breath, is extremely restless, and describes a pain beneath the breastbone. What should the nurse suspect?

Oxygen toxicity

The nurse is admitting a patient with COPD. The decrease of what substance in the blood gas analysis would indicate to the nurse that the patient is experiencing hypoxemia?

PaO2

A nurse is caring for a client with COPD who needs teaching on pursed-lip breathing. Place the steps in order in which the nurse will instruct the client.

"Inhale through your nose." "Slowly count to 3." "Exhale slowly through pursed lips." "Slowly count to 7."

What range of pressure within the endotracheal tube cuff does the nurse maintain to prevent both injury and aspiration?

20 to 25 mm Hg

A client with a respiratory condition is receiving oxygen therapy. While assessing the client's PaO2, the nurse knows that the therapy has been effective based on which of the following readings?

84 mm Hg

A new ICU nurse is observed by her preceptor entering a patient's room to suction the tracheostomy after performing the task 15 minutes before. What should the preceptor educate the new nurse to do to ensure that the patient needs to be suctioned?

Auscultate the lung for adventitious sounds.

For a client with an endotracheal (ET) tube, which nursing action is the most important?

Auscultating the lungs for bilateral breath sounds

What assessment method would the nurse use to determine the areas of the lungs that need draining?

Auscultation

Which is an adverse reaction that would require the process of weaning from a ventilator to be terminated?

Blood pressure increase of 20 mm Hg

The nurse is caring for a client following a thoracotomy. Which finding requires immediate intervention by the nurse?

Chest tube drainage, 190 mL/hr

A client is on a positive-pressure ventilator with a synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) setting. The ventilator is set for 8 breaths per minute. The client is taking 6 breaths per minute independently. The nurse

Continues assessing the client's respiratory status frequently

A client is diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea after having a sleep study performed. What treatment modality will be the most effective for this client?

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

A patient is being educated in the use of incentive spirometry prior to having a surgical procedure. What should the nurse be sure to include in the education?

Encourage the patient to take approximately 10 breaths per hour, while awake.

The nurse is educating a patient with COPD about the technique for performing pursed-lip breathing. What does the nurse inform the patient is the importance of using this technique?

It prolongs exhalation.

A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is intubated and placed on continuous mechanical ventilation. Which equipment is most important for the nurse to keep at this client's bedside?

Manual resuscitation bag

A client who is undergoing thoracic surgery has a nursing diagnosis of "Impaired gas exchange related to lung impairment and surgery" on the nursing care plan. Which of the following nursing interventions would be appropriately aligned with this nursing diagnosis? Select all that apply.

Monitor pulmonary status as directed and needed. Encourage deep breathing exercises. Regularly assess the client's vital signs every 2 to 4 hours.

Which oxygen administration device has the advantage of providing a high oxygen concentration?

Nonrebreathing mask

A client is receiving supplemental oxygen. When determining the effectiveness of oxygen therapy, which arterial blood gas value is most important?

Partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2)

In general, chest drainage tubes are not indicated for a client undergoing which procedure?

Pneumonectomy

The nurse is caring for a client with an endotracheal tube (ET). Which nursing intervention is contraindicated?

Routinely deflating the cuff

A nurse is weaning a client from mechanical ventilation. Which nursing assessment finding indicates the weaning process should be stopped?

Runs of ventricular tachycardia

Which is the most reliable and accurate method for delivering precise concentrations of oxygen through noninvasive means?

Venturi mask

Which type of ventilator has a preset volume of air to be delivered with each inspiration?

Volume cycled

When performing endotracheal suctioning, the nurse applies suctioning while withdrawing and gently rotating the catheter 360 degrees for how long?

no longer than 10 seconds

The nurse is preparing to assist the health care provider to remove a client's chest tube. Which instruction will the nurse correctly give to the client?

"When the tube is being removed, take a deep breath"

The nurse assesses a patient with a heart rate of 42 and a blood pressure of 70/46. What type of hypoxia does the nurse determine this patient is displaying?

Circulatory hypoxia

A nurse is caring for a client who has a tracheostomy and temperature of 103° F (39.4° C). Which intervention will most likely lower the client's arterial blood oxygen saturation?

Endotracheal suctioning

The nurse has instructed a client on how to perform pursed-lip breathing. The nurse recognizes the purpose of this type of breathing is to accomplish which result?

Improve oxygen transport; induce a slow, deep breathing pattern; and assist the client to control breathing

A client suffers acute respiratory distress syndrome as a consequence of shock. The client's condition deteriorates rapidly, and endotracheal (ET) intubation and mechanical ventilation are initiated. When the high-pressure alarm on the mechanical ventilator sounds, the nurse starts to check for the cause. Which condition triggers the high-pressure alarm?

Kinking of the ventilator tubing

A client with myasthenia gravis is receiving continuous mechanical ventilation. When the high-pressure alarm on the ventilator sounds, what should the nurse do?

Suction the client's artificial airway.

A home health nurse is visiting a home care client with advanced lung cancer. Upon assessing the client, the nurse discovers wheezing, bradycardia, and a respiratory rate of 10 breaths/minute. These signs are associated with which condition?

Hypoxia

The nurse is assisting a physician with an endotracheal intubation for a client in respiratory failure. It is most important for the nurse to assess for:

Symmetry of the client's chest expansion

A thoracentesis is performed to obtain a sample of pleural fluid or a biopsy specimen from the pleural wall for diagnostic purposes. What does serous fluid indicate?

Cancer

For a client who has a chest tube connected to a closed water-seal drainage system, the nurse should include which action in the care plan?

Measuring and documenting the drainage in the collection chamber

After undergoing a left thoracotomy, a client has a chest tube in place. When caring for this client, the nurse must:

encourage coughing and deep breathing.

A nurse is caring for a client with a chest tube. If the chest drainage system is accidentally disconnected, what should the nurse plan to do?

Place the end of the chest tube in a container of sterile saline.

A client is on a ventilator. Alarms are sounding, indicating an increase in peak airway pressure. The nurse assesses first for

A kink in the ventilator tubing

The nurse suctions a patient through the endotracheal tube for 20 seconds and observes dysrhythmias on the monitor. What does the nurse determine is occurring with the patient?

The patient is hypoxic from suctioning.