Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Exam

When removing a chest tube, what is the appropriate patient instruction?

1. Take short quick breaths with your mouth open.

2. Take a deep breath and hold it.

3. Breathe only through your mouth.

4. Breathe as you normally do.

The correct answer is: Take a deep breath and hold it.

Instructing the patient to take a deep breath and hold it while removing a chest tube is crucial for minimizing the risk of complications such as pneumothorax. This specific instruction helps to create positive pressure in the pleural cavity, which can help prevent air from entering the space as the tube is removed. Holding the breath during this procedure stabilizes the thoracic pressure and can effectively seal the pleural space after the tube's exit. The other suggestions do not provide the necessary benefits. Taking short quick breaths would be insufficient to manage the pressure in the thoracic cavity. Breathing only through the mouth may not offer any advantage and could be counterproductive. Lastly, breathing normally does not apply adequate pressure in the pleural space to ensure safety during the chest tube removal process. Thus, the instruction to take a deep breath and hold it is the most appropriate for safeguarding the patient’s respiratory integrity during this procedure.