Adult Health Exam 1 Related

Review Adult Health Exam 1 related questions and content

The nurse is caring for a client with a chest tube after thoracic surgery. What is the most important assessment related to the chest tube?

  • A. Ensure continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber
  • B. Measure the amount of drainage every shift
  • C. Keep the drainage system at the level of the chest
  • D. Assess for subcutaneous emphysema around the insertion site
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The most important assessment related to a chest tube after thoracic surgery is to assess for subcutaneous emphysema around the insertion site. Subcutaneous emphysema can indicate air leakage from the pleural space, which can lead to serious complications such as a pneumothorax. Ensuring continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber is not the most critical assessment as it is a normal finding in a chest drainage system. While measuring the amount of drainage is important to monitor the client's condition, it is not as crucial as assessing for subcutaneous emphysema. Keeping the drainage system at the level of the chest helps maintain proper function but is not the most critical assessment in this scenario.