What condition is indicated when a patient with a chest tube experiences sharp, stabbing chest pain without a change in pulse or blood pressure?
a. Pneumonitis
b. Tube displacement
c. A myocardial infarction
d. A tension pneumothorax
D
Sharp, stabbing chest pain with or without decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate may indicate a tension pneumothorax. A chest tube is not an expected treatment for pneumonitis. Tube displacement is an unexpected outcome and can lead to increased pneumothorax. Immediately apply pressure over the chest tube insertion site. Myocardial infarction pain is expressed as "crushing" or "pressure" over the sternal area.
You might also like to view...
Which statement by the patient indicates a teaching need?
a. "I use bobby pins to remove excessive ear wax." b. "I use soap and a warm cloth to clean the outside of my ear." c. "My doctor sometimes gives me oil drops for my ears." d. "I never use Q-Tips."
Which phase of a clinical trial requires an experimental design?
A) I B) II C) III D) IV
Mrs. W. has been with her husband since he arrived at the emergency department and is worried about his condition and his care
List five things you might do to make her more comfortable while her husband is in the MICU.
As the nurse and the dietitian review a female patient's diet plan with her, she shouts that with her diabetes and now the kidney failure, there is just nothing she can eat
She says she might as well eat what she wants, because there is nothing she can do to help herself. Based on the patient's response, which nursing diagnosis does the nurse identify? a. Noncompliance, risk for, related to feelings of anger b. Imbalanced nutrition less than body requirements, related to knowledge deficit c. Anticipatory grieving, related to actual and perceived losses d. Ineffective coping, related to sense of powerlessness