A nurse is monitoring a client following a thoracentesis. The nurse should identify which of the following manifestations as a complication and contact the provider immediately?

A. Reduces inflammation:
This action is more characteristic of anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids. Expectorants, however, do not primarily reduce inflammation.

B. Dries mucous membranes:
This action is more characteristic of antihistamines or decongestants, which may help reduce nasal congestion by drying mucous membranes. Expectorants have the opposite effect; they promote the thinning of mucus.

C. Stimulates secretions
An expectorant is a type of medication that works by promoting the clearance of mucus from the respiratory tract. It does so by thinning and loosening mucus, making it easier for the patient to cough up and expel. Expectorants help in facilitating the removal of excessive mucus and can be useful in conditions where there is a productive cough associated with excessive mucus production.

D. Suppresses the urge to cough:
This action is associated with antitussive medications, which are cough suppressants. Expectorants, on the other hand, stimulate the removal of mucus and do not suppress the urge to cough

A. PEEP decreases the peak respiratory pressures:
PEEP may increase peak respiratory pressures, especially during inspiration, but its primary purpose is to prevent alveolar collapse and improve oxygenation.

B. “PEEP increases the number of breaths the patient takes on his own.”:
PEEP does not increase the number of breaths the patient takes. It primarily affects the quality of ventilation by preventing alveolar collapse.

C. “PEEP augments the patient’s overall tidal volumes.”:
PEEP does not necessarily increase overall tidal volumes. It focuses on maintaining positive pressure at the end of expiration to prevent alveolar collapse.

D. “PEEP improves oxygenation by keeping alveoli open after exhalation.”
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is used in mechanical ventilation to maintain positive pressure in the airways and alveoli at the end of the respiratory cycle (expiration). This helps prevent alveolar collapse and improves oxygenation by keeping the alveoli open, particularly in patients with conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). PEEP is commonly used to increase functional residual capacity (FRC) and improve oxygenation.