Which clinical manifestation in a client with paralysis of one vocal cord alerts the nurse to the possibility of aspiration?

A. The client's oxygen saturation is 96%.
B. The client's voice is breathy and weak.
C. The client coughs immediately after swallowing.
D. The client has an audible wheeze on exhalation only.


C
The oxygen saturation is normal and the client's voice is expected to be breathy and weak when one vocal cord fails to adduct (move toward each other, the midline of the larynx) during speech. The wheeze on exhalation only is characteristic of bronchospasm rather than aspiration. Common symptoms of aspiration include coughing immediately after swallowing liquids or solids as these materials irritate the airway and trigger the cough reflex.

Nursing

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