Basic Adult Health Care NCLEX Questions Related

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A client has a chest tube attached to a waterseal drainage system and the nurse notes that the fluid in the chest tube and in the water-seal column has stopped fluctuating. The nurse should determine:

  • A. The lung has fully expanded.
  • B. The lung has collapsed.
  • C. The chest tube is in the pleural space.
  • D. The mediastinal space has decreased.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Lack of fluctuation in the water-seal column suggests the lung has fully expanded, resolving the pneumothorax. Collapsed lung, tube placement, or mediastinal changes would show other signs.