A nurse is caring for a patient with a chest tube connected to wall suction due to a right-sided pneumothorax. The patient reports a sensation of chest burning.
What should the nurse do next?

Smoking, Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, and Weak pedal pulses.

Factors that contribute to poor circulation to the limb include:

• Smoking: It can cause constriction and damage to the blood vessels, leading to poor circulation.
• Diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to poor circulation.
• Atherosclerosis: This is a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow.
• Weak pedal pulses: This can be a sign of reduced blood flow to the lower extremities. A sodium-restricted diet (Choice B) is not typically associated with poor circulation.

Choice A rationale

Swabbing an area of skin away from the wound to identify the usual flora is not the correct action. This would not provide a representative sample of the wound infection.

Choice B rationale

Irrigating the wound with an antiseptic prior to obtaining the specimen is not the correct action. This could potentially alter the results of the culture.

Choice C rationale

Cleansing the wound with 0.9% sodium chloride saline irrigation before obtaining the specimen is the correct action. This helps to remove surface bacteria and ensures a more accurate culture result.

Choice D rationale

Including intact skin at the wound edges in the culture is not the correct action. This could contaminate the specimen with bacteria that are not part of the wound infection.