The family of a mechanically ventilated patient receiving a chest tube asks why the tube is necessary. How should the nurse respond?
1. "The chest tube helps to decompress the lung and prevents further complications."
2. "The chest tube helps the patient breathe more easily when on a ventilator."
3. "The chest tube is an elective procedure that many physicians like to perform."
4. "Placement of the chest tube requires surgery."
Correct Answer: 1
The chest tube is indicated for a pneumothorax that can be spontaneous or brought on by increasingly higher PEEP. The insertion of a chest tube is not an elective procedure and is most often performed at the bedside, not in surgery. A chest tube does not directly assist a patient with breathing more easily on a ventilator, but it does allow the lung to expand more fully, which helps with the patient's overall oxygenation.
You might also like to view...
A client has been advised to perform weight-bearing exercises to help minimize osteoporosis. The client admits to not doing the prescribed exercises. What action by the nurse is best?
a. Ask the client about fear of falling. b. Instruct the client to increase calcium. c. Suggest other exercises the client can do. d. Tell the client to try weight lifting.
Cardiac perfusion is a function of body
A) demands. B) weight. C) metabolism. D) size.
Why are nurses in a prime position to act as change agents?
1. Nurses are always acting in the client?s best interest. 2. Nurses are role models for positively reacting to change. 3. Nurses often function as intermediaries between other disciplines. 4. Nurses thrive on transitions and work best in such circumstances.
The nurse implements the following measures for a patient with rheumatic fever: turn, cough, deep breathe, elevate head of bed, instruct on use of incentive spirometry
On which parameters would the nurse assess the effectiveness of the nursing interventions? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply. 1. Urine output 2. Arterial blood gases 3. Potassium level 4. Lung sounds 5. Orientation