A patient has suddenly developed shortness of breath and appears to be in significant respiratory distress. After calling the physician and placing the patient on oxygen, which of these actions is the best for the nurse to take when further assessing the
patient?
a.
Count the patient's respirations.
b.
Bilaterally percuss the thorax, noting any differences in percussion tones.
c.
Call for a chest x-ray study, and wait for the results before beginning an assessment.
d.
Inspect the thorax for any new masses and bleeding associated with respirations.
ANS: B
Percussion is always available, portable, and offers instant feedback regarding changes in underlying tissue density, which may yield clues of the patient's physical status.
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