RESPIRATORY QUIZ AND VERIFIED ANSWERS| 100% CORRECT| GRADE A
(LATEST 2024/ 2025)
During the evening after a thoracentesis, the client reports anxiety. Which action would the nurse take
first?
A. Administer the prescribed analgesic.
B. Listen to the client's breath sounds.
C. Give the client the prescribed as needed lorazepam.
D. Ask the client about specific concerns or worries. - ✔✔ANS: B
Listen to the client's breath sounds.
Because anxiety is frequently an early manifestation of hypoxemia, the nurse's initial action will be to
assess for complications of thoracentesis such as pneumothorax by listening for lung sounds.
A. Administering an analgesic may be indicated if the client states that pain is contributing to anxiety,
but would be done after further assessment.
C. Administration of lorazepam may be indicated after the nurse assesses for potential physiological or
psychological causes of anxiety.
D. Asking about specific client concerns or worries is indicated once the nurse is sure that physiological
factors are not the cause of the anxiety.
Which assessment finding on a client who has just had a thoracentesis for a right pleural effusion would
require the most rapid action by the nurse?
A. Oxygen saturation of 93%
B. Blood pressure of 160/94 mm Hg
,C. Decreased right side breath sounds
D. Ecchymosis at the site of the thoracentesis - ✔✔ANS: C
Decreased right breath sounds
After thoracentesis the breath sounds should be audible on the affected side and decreased breath
sounds may indicate pneumothorax. The nurse would immediately notify the health care provider and
expect actions such as a chest x-ray and possible insertion of a chest tube.
A. The oxygen saturation of 93% is slightly below normal, but would not be surprising in a client who has
a history of lung disease.
B. Hypotension after thoracentesis may indicate bleeding or that too much pleural fluid has been
removed at once, but mild hypertension may occur due to anxiety or pain.
D. Ecchymosis at the thoracentesis site would be monitored, but would be expected after thoracentesis.
Immediately after a thoracentesis, a client's right lung collapses. A chest tube is inserted and is attached
to a three-chamber closed drainage system. The nurse assesses the fluid in the system and recognizes
that which finding indicates that the chest tube is functioning properly?
A. The fluid remains constant in the chest drainage chamber.
B. The fluid is bubbling gently in the chest drainage chamber.
C. The fluid is bubbling vigorously in the suction control chamber.
D. The fluid rises in the tube of the water-seal chamber during inspiration. - ✔✔ANS: D
The fluid rises in the tube of the water-seal chamber during inspiration.
Increased negative intrapleural pressure on inspiration causes the fluid to rise; a decrease in negative
intrapleural pressure on expiration causes the fluid to fall.
,A. Remaining constant in the chest drainage chamber indicates that an obstruction is present in the
drainage tubing or that the suction is too low; a slight increase in fluid should be evident in this chamber
postoperatively.
B. Bubbling gently in the chest drainage chamber indicates an air leak.
C. If the water is bubbling vigorously in the suction control chamber, the suction is too hight; bubbling
should be gentle.
After a thoracentesis for pleural effusion, a client returns to an outpatient clinic for a follow-up visit. The
nurse suspects a recurrence of pleural effusion when the client makes which statement?
A. "Lately I can only breathe well if I sit up."
B. "During the night I sometimes get the chills."
C. "I get a sharp, stabbing pain when I take a deep breath."
D. "I'm coughing up large amounts of thicker mucus for the past several days." - ✔✔ANS: C
"I get a sharp, stabbing pain when I take a deep breath."
Rationale:
Tension is placed on the pleura at the height of inspiration and causes pain.
A. The response "Lately I can only breathe well if I sit up" is typical of heart failure."
B. The response "During the night I sometimes get the chills" may indicate a pulmonary infection.
D. The response "I'm coughing up large amounts of thicker mucus for the past several days" may
indicate a pulmonary infection.
Which actions will the nurse take when preparing a client before thoracentesis? Select all that apply.
One, some, or all responses may be correct.
, A. Assist the client to sit up on the edge of the bed.
B. Remind the client not to eat before the procedure.
C. Instruct the client to rest the arms on the bedside table.
D. Verify that the client has signed the informed consent form.
E. Educate the client about when to cough during the procedure. - ✔✔ANS: A, C, D
Rationale:
A- The client is usually positioned sitting up at the side of the bed or seated facing backward on a chair
so that the posterior thorax is exposed.
C- The client will rest the arms on the bedside table, which increases the size of the intercostal spaces.
D- Informed consent is needed before thoracentesis.
B- Because no sedation or general anesthesia is needed for thoracentesis, the client does not need to
refrain from eating before the procedure.
E- The client should be instructed to avoid coughing or moving during the procedure to decrease risk for
pneumothorax.
Which actions will the nurse take when caring for a client with possible lung cancer who has just had a
thoracentesis? Select all that apply. One, some, or all responses may be correct.
A. Listen to breath sounds.
B. Encourage deep breaths.
C. Send pleural fluid to the laboratory.
D. Ensure that a chest x-ray is performed.
E. Place the client on bed rest for the next 4 hours. - ✔✔ANS: A, B, C, D
(LATEST 2024/ 2025)
During the evening after a thoracentesis, the client reports anxiety. Which action would the nurse take
first?
A. Administer the prescribed analgesic.
B. Listen to the client's breath sounds.
C. Give the client the prescribed as needed lorazepam.
D. Ask the client about specific concerns or worries. - ✔✔ANS: B
Listen to the client's breath sounds.
Because anxiety is frequently an early manifestation of hypoxemia, the nurse's initial action will be to
assess for complications of thoracentesis such as pneumothorax by listening for lung sounds.
A. Administering an analgesic may be indicated if the client states that pain is contributing to anxiety,
but would be done after further assessment.
C. Administration of lorazepam may be indicated after the nurse assesses for potential physiological or
psychological causes of anxiety.
D. Asking about specific client concerns or worries is indicated once the nurse is sure that physiological
factors are not the cause of the anxiety.
Which assessment finding on a client who has just had a thoracentesis for a right pleural effusion would
require the most rapid action by the nurse?
A. Oxygen saturation of 93%
B. Blood pressure of 160/94 mm Hg
,C. Decreased right side breath sounds
D. Ecchymosis at the site of the thoracentesis - ✔✔ANS: C
Decreased right breath sounds
After thoracentesis the breath sounds should be audible on the affected side and decreased breath
sounds may indicate pneumothorax. The nurse would immediately notify the health care provider and
expect actions such as a chest x-ray and possible insertion of a chest tube.
A. The oxygen saturation of 93% is slightly below normal, but would not be surprising in a client who has
a history of lung disease.
B. Hypotension after thoracentesis may indicate bleeding or that too much pleural fluid has been
removed at once, but mild hypertension may occur due to anxiety or pain.
D. Ecchymosis at the thoracentesis site would be monitored, but would be expected after thoracentesis.
Immediately after a thoracentesis, a client's right lung collapses. A chest tube is inserted and is attached
to a three-chamber closed drainage system. The nurse assesses the fluid in the system and recognizes
that which finding indicates that the chest tube is functioning properly?
A. The fluid remains constant in the chest drainage chamber.
B. The fluid is bubbling gently in the chest drainage chamber.
C. The fluid is bubbling vigorously in the suction control chamber.
D. The fluid rises in the tube of the water-seal chamber during inspiration. - ✔✔ANS: D
The fluid rises in the tube of the water-seal chamber during inspiration.
Increased negative intrapleural pressure on inspiration causes the fluid to rise; a decrease in negative
intrapleural pressure on expiration causes the fluid to fall.
,A. Remaining constant in the chest drainage chamber indicates that an obstruction is present in the
drainage tubing or that the suction is too low; a slight increase in fluid should be evident in this chamber
postoperatively.
B. Bubbling gently in the chest drainage chamber indicates an air leak.
C. If the water is bubbling vigorously in the suction control chamber, the suction is too hight; bubbling
should be gentle.
After a thoracentesis for pleural effusion, a client returns to an outpatient clinic for a follow-up visit. The
nurse suspects a recurrence of pleural effusion when the client makes which statement?
A. "Lately I can only breathe well if I sit up."
B. "During the night I sometimes get the chills."
C. "I get a sharp, stabbing pain when I take a deep breath."
D. "I'm coughing up large amounts of thicker mucus for the past several days." - ✔✔ANS: C
"I get a sharp, stabbing pain when I take a deep breath."
Rationale:
Tension is placed on the pleura at the height of inspiration and causes pain.
A. The response "Lately I can only breathe well if I sit up" is typical of heart failure."
B. The response "During the night I sometimes get the chills" may indicate a pulmonary infection.
D. The response "I'm coughing up large amounts of thicker mucus for the past several days" may
indicate a pulmonary infection.
Which actions will the nurse take when preparing a client before thoracentesis? Select all that apply.
One, some, or all responses may be correct.
, A. Assist the client to sit up on the edge of the bed.
B. Remind the client not to eat before the procedure.
C. Instruct the client to rest the arms on the bedside table.
D. Verify that the client has signed the informed consent form.
E. Educate the client about when to cough during the procedure. - ✔✔ANS: A, C, D
Rationale:
A- The client is usually positioned sitting up at the side of the bed or seated facing backward on a chair
so that the posterior thorax is exposed.
C- The client will rest the arms on the bedside table, which increases the size of the intercostal spaces.
D- Informed consent is needed before thoracentesis.
B- Because no sedation or general anesthesia is needed for thoracentesis, the client does not need to
refrain from eating before the procedure.
E- The client should be instructed to avoid coughing or moving during the procedure to decrease risk for
pneumothorax.
Which actions will the nurse take when caring for a client with possible lung cancer who has just had a
thoracentesis? Select all that apply. One, some, or all responses may be correct.
A. Listen to breath sounds.
B. Encourage deep breaths.
C. Send pleural fluid to the laboratory.
D. Ensure that a chest x-ray is performed.
E. Place the client on bed rest for the next 4 hours. - ✔✔ANS: A, B, C, D
