Nokea
While caring for a client who was injured in a motor-vehicle crash and reports dyspnea and severe pain, a nurse in the emergency department notes that the client's chest moves inward during inspiration and bulges out during expiration. The nurse should identify this finding as which of the following?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Flail chest. Flail chest occurs when a segment of the rib cage is detached from the rest of the chest wall, causing paradoxical chest movement. In this case, the inward movement during inspiration and outward bulging during expiration are classic signs of flail chest, as the detached segment moves in the opposite direction of the rest of the chest wall. Atelectasis (choice A) refers to collapsed lung tissue, not paradoxical chest movement. Hemothorax (choice C) is the accumulation of blood in the pleural space, which does not cause paradoxical chest movement. Pneumothorax (choice D) is the presence of air in the pleural space, which can cause chest pain and dyspnea but does not result in paradoxical chest movement.