Chest Trauma Practice Questions AND VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
1. The client with pneumothorax would
have absent breath sounds and tachyp-
nea.
***2. Unequal lung expansion and dysp-
The client is admitted to the emergency
nea would indicate a pneumothorax.
department with chest trauma. When as-
3. Consolidation occurs when there is
sess- ing the client, which signs/symp-
no air moving through the alveoli as in
toms would the nurse expect to find that
pneumonia; frothy sputum occurs with
support the diagnosis of pneumothorax?
congestive heart failure.
4. Barrel chest and polycythemia are
1. Bronchovesicular lung sounds and
signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary
bradypnea.
disease.
2. Unequal lung expansion and dyspnea.
3. Frothy bloody sputum and consolida-
TEST-TAKING HINT: The test taker can
tion.
use "chest trauma" or "pneumothorax" to
4. Barrel chest and polycythemia.
help select the correct answer. Both of
these words should cause the test taker
to select "2" because unequal chest ex-
pansion would result from trauma.
1. A STAT chest x-ray would not be need-
ed to determine why there is no fluctua-
tion in the water-seal compartment.
2. Increasing the amount of wall suction
does not address why there is no fluctu-
The client had a right-sided chest tube ation in the water-seal compartment.
inserted two (2) hours ago for a pneu- ***3. The key to the answer is "2 hours."
mothorax. Which action should the nurse The air from the pleural space is not able
take if there is no fluctuation (tidaling) in to get to the water-seal compartment,
the water-seal compartment? and the nurse should try to determine
why. Usually the client is lying on the
1. Obtain an order for a stat chest x-ray. tube, it is kinked, or there is a dependent
2. Increase the amount of wall suction. loop.
3. Check the tubing for kinks or clots. 4. The stem does not state that the client
is in respiratory distress, and a pulse
oximeter read- ing detects hypoxemia but
does not address any fluctuation in the
water-seal compartment.
, Chest Trauma Practice Questions AND VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
TEST-TAKING HINT: The test taker
should apply the nursing process to an-
swer the question correctly. The first step
in the nursing process is assessment
4. Monitor the client's pulse oximeter and "check" (option "3") is a word that
reading. can be used synonymously for assess.
Monitoring (option "4") is also assess-
ing, but the test taker should not check
a diagnostic test result before caring for
the client.
***1. The client must take deep breaths to
help push the air out of the pleural space
into the water-seal drainage, and deep
breaths will help prevent the client from
develop- ing pneumonia or atelectasis.
Which intervention should the nurse im-
2. The client must take deep breaths;
plement for a male client who has had a
shallow breaths could lead to complica-
left- sided chest tube for six (6) hours and
tions.
refuses to take deep breaths because it
3. Deep breaths must be taken to prevent
hurts too much?
complications.
4. This is a cruel intervention; the nurse
1. Medicate the client and have the client
can medicate the client and then encour-
take deep breaths.
age deep breathing.
2. Encourage the client to take shallow
breaths to help with the pain.
TEST-TAKING HINT: If the test taker
3. Explain that deep breaths do not have
reads options "2" and "3" and notices
to be taken at this time.
that both reflect the same idea namely,
4. Tell the client that if he doesn't take
that deep breaths are not necessary then
deep breaths, he could die.
both can either be eliminated as incor-
rect answers or kept as possible correct
answers. Option "4" should be eliminated
based on being a very rude and threat-
ening comment.
The unlicensed nursing assistant is as-
sisting the client with a chest tube to
ambulate to the bathroom. Which sit-
uation warrants immediate intervention
from the nurse?
1. The client's chest tube is below the
level of the chest.
2. The nursing assistant has the chest
, Chest Trauma Practice Questions AND VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
1. Keeping the drainage system lower
than the chest promotes drainage and
prevents reflux.
***2. The chest tube system can function
as a result of gravity and does not have
to be attached to suction. Keeping it at-
tached to suction could cause the client
to trip and fall. Therefore, this is a safety
issue and the nurse should intervene and
explain this to the nursing assistant.
3. Ambulation facilitates lung ventilation
and expansion; drainage systems are
portable to allow ambulation while chest
tubes are in place.
4. The client should ambulate, but getting
up and using the bedside commode is
better than stay- ing in the bed, so no
action would be needed.
TEST-TAKING HINT: "Warrants immedi-
ate intervention" means the test taker
must identify the situation in which the
nurse should intervene and correct the
action, demonstrate a skill, or somehow
intervene with the unlicensed assistant's
behavior.
1. The health-care provider will have to
be noti- fied, but this is not the first inter-
vention. Air must be prevented from en-
tering the pleural space from the outside
The client has a right-sided chest tube.
atmosphere.
As the client is getting out of the bed it
2. The client should breathe regularly or
is acci- dentally pulled out of the pleural
take deep breaths until the tubes are
space. Which action should the nurse
reinserted.
implement first?
3. The nurse must take action and pre-
vent air from entering the pleural space.
***4. Taping on three sides prevents the
development of a tension pneumothorax
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
1. The client with pneumothorax would
have absent breath sounds and tachyp-
nea.
***2. Unequal lung expansion and dysp-
The client is admitted to the emergency
nea would indicate a pneumothorax.
department with chest trauma. When as-
3. Consolidation occurs when there is
sess- ing the client, which signs/symp-
no air moving through the alveoli as in
toms would the nurse expect to find that
pneumonia; frothy sputum occurs with
support the diagnosis of pneumothorax?
congestive heart failure.
4. Barrel chest and polycythemia are
1. Bronchovesicular lung sounds and
signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary
bradypnea.
disease.
2. Unequal lung expansion and dyspnea.
3. Frothy bloody sputum and consolida-
TEST-TAKING HINT: The test taker can
tion.
use "chest trauma" or "pneumothorax" to
4. Barrel chest and polycythemia.
help select the correct answer. Both of
these words should cause the test taker
to select "2" because unequal chest ex-
pansion would result from trauma.
1. A STAT chest x-ray would not be need-
ed to determine why there is no fluctua-
tion in the water-seal compartment.
2. Increasing the amount of wall suction
does not address why there is no fluctu-
The client had a right-sided chest tube ation in the water-seal compartment.
inserted two (2) hours ago for a pneu- ***3. The key to the answer is "2 hours."
mothorax. Which action should the nurse The air from the pleural space is not able
take if there is no fluctuation (tidaling) in to get to the water-seal compartment,
the water-seal compartment? and the nurse should try to determine
why. Usually the client is lying on the
1. Obtain an order for a stat chest x-ray. tube, it is kinked, or there is a dependent
2. Increase the amount of wall suction. loop.
3. Check the tubing for kinks or clots. 4. The stem does not state that the client
is in respiratory distress, and a pulse
oximeter read- ing detects hypoxemia but
does not address any fluctuation in the
water-seal compartment.
, Chest Trauma Practice Questions AND VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
TEST-TAKING HINT: The test taker
should apply the nursing process to an-
swer the question correctly. The first step
in the nursing process is assessment
4. Monitor the client's pulse oximeter and "check" (option "3") is a word that
reading. can be used synonymously for assess.
Monitoring (option "4") is also assess-
ing, but the test taker should not check
a diagnostic test result before caring for
the client.
***1. The client must take deep breaths to
help push the air out of the pleural space
into the water-seal drainage, and deep
breaths will help prevent the client from
develop- ing pneumonia or atelectasis.
Which intervention should the nurse im-
2. The client must take deep breaths;
plement for a male client who has had a
shallow breaths could lead to complica-
left- sided chest tube for six (6) hours and
tions.
refuses to take deep breaths because it
3. Deep breaths must be taken to prevent
hurts too much?
complications.
4. This is a cruel intervention; the nurse
1. Medicate the client and have the client
can medicate the client and then encour-
take deep breaths.
age deep breathing.
2. Encourage the client to take shallow
breaths to help with the pain.
TEST-TAKING HINT: If the test taker
3. Explain that deep breaths do not have
reads options "2" and "3" and notices
to be taken at this time.
that both reflect the same idea namely,
4. Tell the client that if he doesn't take
that deep breaths are not necessary then
deep breaths, he could die.
both can either be eliminated as incor-
rect answers or kept as possible correct
answers. Option "4" should be eliminated
based on being a very rude and threat-
ening comment.
The unlicensed nursing assistant is as-
sisting the client with a chest tube to
ambulate to the bathroom. Which sit-
uation warrants immediate intervention
from the nurse?
1. The client's chest tube is below the
level of the chest.
2. The nursing assistant has the chest
, Chest Trauma Practice Questions AND VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
2024\2025
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_h7j5i9
1. Keeping the drainage system lower
than the chest promotes drainage and
prevents reflux.
***2. The chest tube system can function
as a result of gravity and does not have
to be attached to suction. Keeping it at-
tached to suction could cause the client
to trip and fall. Therefore, this is a safety
issue and the nurse should intervene and
explain this to the nursing assistant.
3. Ambulation facilitates lung ventilation
and expansion; drainage systems are
portable to allow ambulation while chest
tubes are in place.
4. The client should ambulate, but getting
up and using the bedside commode is
better than stay- ing in the bed, so no
action would be needed.
TEST-TAKING HINT: "Warrants immedi-
ate intervention" means the test taker
must identify the situation in which the
nurse should intervene and correct the
action, demonstrate a skill, or somehow
intervene with the unlicensed assistant's
behavior.
1. The health-care provider will have to
be noti- fied, but this is not the first inter-
vention. Air must be prevented from en-
tering the pleural space from the outside
The client has a right-sided chest tube.
atmosphere.
As the client is getting out of the bed it
2. The client should breathe regularly or
is acci- dentally pulled out of the pleural
take deep breaths until the tubes are
space. Which action should the nurse
reinserted.
implement first?
3. The nurse must take action and pre-
vent air from entering the pleural space.
***4. Taping on three sides prevents the
development of a tension pneumothorax
