What is the best technique for the nurse to use to ensure that an air embolus does not develop when changing the administration set on a central venous catheter?
A. Place the client in a flat, right side–lying position during the procedure.
B. Have the client in a semisitting position to ensure that the catheter exit site is above the level of the heart.
C. Have the client hold his or her breath and bear down while the old set is discon-nected and the new set is connected.
D. Cap off the old set and remove it, attach a 10-mL syringe with sterile normal sa-line to the connector, then rapidly attach the new primed set to the catheter con-nection.
C
An air embolus is less likely to form if the exit site is lower than the level of the heart and if the pressure in the thoracic cavity is higher when the disconnection occurs. Having the client perform the Valsalva maneuver and maintain it during disconnection and reconnection helps maintain a higher intrathoracic pressure.
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Any treatment that a nurse performs to enhance client outcomes is a nursing
1. Arbitration. 2. Intervention. 3. Role. 4. Therapy.