The nurse is teaching an older patient before a bronchoscopy. What information is the most important for the patient to know to prevent a possible postprocedure complication?

Question

a. Deep breathe during the insertion of the bronchoscope for easy passage of the scope.
b. Do not eat or drink anything after the procedure until the nurse says it is safe to drink.
c. Turn on your right side while the bron-choscope is passed through the nose and throat.
d. Avoid food and fluids for at least 3 hours before the procedure.

Answer 1

B
The nurse cautions the patient to avoid taking anything by mouth after the bronchoscopy until approved by the nurse because the nurse determines when the gag reflex returns. The healthcare provider sprays a local anesthetic agent to depress the gag reflex before passing the bronchoscope. Ingesting oral food or fluid potentially causes choking or aspiration with a depressed gag reflex. The patient is NPO for 8 hours before the bronchoscopy to help prevent aspiration of gastric contents. Intravenous sedation is often used to relax the patient, allowing for easy passage of the bronchoscope. The bronchoscope passes through the oropharynx into the trachea, not through the nose.