Respiratory Mix Flashcards
The nurse is assessing the functioning of a chest tube drainage system in a client who has just returned from the recovery room following a thoracotomy with wedge resection. Which are the expected assessment findings?
Select all that apply.
- Excessive bubbling in the water seal chamber
- Vigorous bubbling in the suction control chamber
- Drainage system maintained below the client’s chest
- 50 mL of drainage in the drainage collection chamber
- Occlusive dressing in place over the chest tube insertion site
- Fluctuation of water in the tube in the water seal chamber during inhalation and exhalation
The bubbling of water in the water seal chamber indicates air drainage from the client and usually is seen when intrathoracic pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure, and may occur during exhalation, coughing, or sneezing. Excessive bubbling in the water seal chamber may indicate an air leak, an unexpected finding. Fluctuation of water in the tube in the water seal chamber during inhalation and exhalation is expected. An absence of fluctuation may indicate that the chest tube is obstructed or that the lung has reexpanded and that no more air is leaking into the pleural space. Gentle (not vigorous) bubbling should be noted in the suction control chamber. A total of 50 mL of drainage is not excessive in a client returning to the nursing unit from the recovery room. Drainage that is more than 70 to 100 mL/hour is considered excessive and requires notification of the health care provider. The chest tube insertion site is covered with an occlusive (airtight) dressing to prevent air from entering the pleural space. Positioning the drainage system below the client’s chest allows gravity to drain the pleural space.
The nurse is assisting a health care provider with the removal of a chest tube. The nurse should instruct the client to take which action?
1.
Stay very still.
2.
Exhale very quickly.
3.
Inhale and exhale quickly.
4.
Perform the Valsalva maneuver.
When the chest tube is removed, the client is asked to perform the Valsalva maneuver (take a deep breath, exhale, and bear down). The tube is quickly withdrawn, and an airtight dressing is taped in place. An alternative instruction is to ask the client to take a deep breath and hold the breath while the tube is removed.
The nurse caring for a client with a pneumothorax and who has had a chest tube inserted notes continuous gentle bubbling in the water seal chamber. What action is most appropriate?
1.
Do nothing, because this is an expected finding.
2.
Check for an air leak, because the bubbling should be intermittent.
- Increase the suction pressure so that the bubbling becomes vigorous.
- Clamp the chest tube and notify the health care provider immediately.
Fluctuation with inspiration and expiration, not continuous bubbling, should be noted in the water seal chamber. Intermittent bubbling may be noted if the client has a known pneumothorax, but this should decrease as time goes on and as the pneumothorax begins to resolve. Therefore, the nurse should check for an air leak. If a wet chest drainage system is used, bubbling would be continuous in the suction control chamber and not intermittent. In a dry system, there is no bubbling. Increasing the suction pressure only increases the rate of evaporation of water in the drainage system; in addition, increasing the suction can be harmful and is not done without a specific prescription to do so if using a wet system. Dry systems will allow for only a certain amount of suction to be applied; an orange bellow will appear in the suction window, indicating that the proper amount of suction has been applied. Chest tubes should be clamped only with a health care provider’s prescription.
Normal Carbon monoxide levels are between
1-10%
Mild carbon monoxide poisoning is between __________% and results in
11-20%; Flushing, headache, decreased visual activity, decreased cerebral functioning, slight breathlessness
Moderate carbon monoxide poisoning occurs between __________% and manifestations include
levels of 21% to 40% result in nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tinnitus, vertigo, confusion, drowsiness, pale to reddish-purple skin, and tachycardia
Severe carbon monoxide poisoning levels occur between………..
manifestations include
41-60%
coma, seizures,cardiopulmonary instability
fatal carbon monoxide poisoning levels
61-80%
in a respiratory injury____________respirations will occur
increased
A _____________sound at the site of injury would be noted with an open chest injury.
sucking
Clinical manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
hypoxemia, hypercapnia, dyspnea on exertion and at rest, oxygen desaturation with exercise, and the use of accessory muscles of respiration. Chest x-rays reveal a hyperinflated chest and a flattened diaphragm if the disease is advanced
Pulmonary function tests will demonstrate decreased vital capacity.
What is vital capacity ?
the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation
patients with COPD will have decreased vital capacity
What is the purpose of pursed lip breathing ?
To promote CO2 elimination
Pursed-lip breathing facilitates maximal expiration for clients with obstructive lung disease. This type of breathing allows better expiration by increasing airway pressure that keeps air passages open during exhalation
For tuberculosis patients, after___________- weeks of medication therapy, it is unlikely that the client will infect anyone.
2-3
For tuberculosis patients, a sputum culture is needed every______________ weeks once medication therapy is initiated. When the results of _________sputum cultures are negative, the client is no longer considered infectious and can usually return to former employment.
2-4; 3
The nurse is caring for a client after a bronchoscopy and biopsy. Which finding, if noted in the client, should be reported immediately to the health care provider?
1.
Dry cough
2.
Hematuria
3.
Bronchospasm
4.
Blood-streaked sputum
If a biopsy was performed during a bronchoscopy, blood-streaked sputum is expected for several hours. Frank blood indicates hemorrhage. A dry cough may be expected. The client should be assessed for signs of complications, which would include cyanosis, dyspnea, stridor, bronchospasm, hemoptysis, hypotension, tachycardia, and dysrhythmias
What can be caused by proloned suctioning?
Hypoxemia can be caused by prolonged suctioning, which stimulates the pacemaker cells in the heart. A vasovagal response may occur, causing bradycardia. The nurse must preoxygenate the client before suctioning and limit the suctioning pass to 10 seconds.
Suctioning a client should be limited to ________seconds
10
The nurse must preoxygenate the client before suctioning and limit the suctioning pass to 10 seconds.
During suctioning, the nurse should monitor the client closely for adverse effects, including _______________________. If adverse effects develop, especially cardiac irregularities, the procedure is ______________________
hypoxemia, cardiac irregularities such as a decrease in heart rate resulting from vagal stimulation, mucosal trauma, hypotension, and paroxysmal coughing
stopped and the client is reoxygenated.
Rib fractures result from a blunt injury or a fall. Typical signs and symptoms include
pain and tenderness localized at the fracture site that is exacerbated by inspiration and palpation, shallow respirations, splinting or guarding the chest protectively to minimize chest movement, and possible bruising at the fracture site.
most distinctive sign of flail chest
paradoxical chest movement
What is flail chest?
Flail chest results from multiple rib fractures. This results in a “floating” section of ribs. Because this section is unattached to the rest of the bony rib cage, this segment results in paradoxical chest movement. This means that the force of inspiration pulls the fractured segment inward, while the rest of the chest expands. Similarly, during exhalation, the segment balloons outward while the rest of the chest moves inward. This is a characteristic sign of flail chest.
paradoxical chest movement - remembering that a flail chest has broken rib segments that move independently of the rest of the rib cage.
What is the earliest sign of acute respiratory distress syndrome?
Increased respiratory rate
can begin from 1 to 96 hours after the initial insult to the body. This is followed by increasing dyspnea, air hunger, retraction of accessory muscles, and cyanosis. Breath sounds may be clear or consist of fine inspiratory crackles or diffuse coarse crackles.
The tuberculosis client is continued on medication therapy for up to _____months, depending on the situation. The client generally is considered noncontagious after _________weeks of medication therapy. The client is instructed to wear a mask if there will be exposure to crowds until the medication is effective in preventing transmission. The client is allowed to return to work when the results of _________sputum cultures are negative.
12; 2 to 3; 3