A nurse is auscultating a client's lungs during the initial assessment of the patient in the emergency room. The nurse hears wheezes on expiration in the lower posterior lobes bilaterally. Which of the following actions should the nurse do first?
Have the client cough, then listen again
Teach patient pursed-lip breathing
Check O₂ saturation and apply O₂
Administer nebulizer treatment
The Correct Answer is A
A. Having the client cough, then listening again is correct. Sometimes wheezing can be due to mucus or secretions in the airways, and coughing can help clear them. If wheezing persists, further assessment and interventions may be needed.
B. Teaching pursed-lip breathing is beneficial for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients but is not the first action in an acute assessment.
C. Checking O₂ saturation and applying O₂ is important but not the first step. Oxygen therapy is not indicated unless there is evidence of hypoxia.
D. Administering a nebulizer treatment should only be done if wheezing persists and is causing respiratory distress, but the nurse should first confirm that the wheezing is not due to mucus plugging, which may resolve with coughing.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Wearing gloves before touching the client is not necessary unless the nurse anticipates contact with bodily fluids, non-intact skin, or mucous membranes.
B. Using a separate, disposable blood pressure cuff is an example of transmission-based precautions, not standard precautions, unless the client has an infection requiring contact precautions.
C. Wearing gloves to palpate the tongue and buccal membranes is correct because standard precautions require gloves when there is potential contact with mucous membranes, which can expose the nurse to infectious agents.
D. Wearing a gown, gloves, and mask is unnecessary unless the client has an infection that requires additional precautions beyond standard precautions.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Pressing in the right upper quadrant is not appropriate for a referred rebound tenderness test, which is used to assess peritoneal irritation, commonly from appendicitis.
B. Pressing in the left upper quadrant is not useful in diagnosing appendicitis or conditions that cause referred pain to the right lower quadrant.
C. Pressing in the left lower quadrant is correct when performing Rovsing’s sign, a test for referred rebound tenderness. If the client experiences pain in the right lower quadrant when the left lower quadrant is pressed, it suggests peritoneal irritation, often due to appendicitis.
D. Pressing in the right lower quadrant would directly elicit tenderness in appendicitis but does not test for referred rebound tenderness.
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