Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 83%
Full-length
A 52-year-old client is scheduled for a small-bowel resection in the morning. In conjunction with other preoperative preparation, the nurse is teaching her diaphragmatic breathing exercises. She will teach the client to:
Correct answer
A
Rationale
This is the correct method of teaching diaphragmatic breathing, which allows full lung expansion to increase oxygenation, prevent atelectasis, and move secretions up and out of the lungs to decrease risk of pneumonia. Quick, short breaths do not allow for full lung expansion and movement of secretions up and out of the lungs. Quick, short breaths may lead to O2 depletion, hyperventilation, and hypoxia. Expelling breaths through the nose does not allow for full lung expansion and the use of diaphragmatic muscles to assist in moving secretions up and out of the lungs. Inhaling and exhaling at a rate of 20-24 times/min does not allow time for full lung expansion to increase oxygenation. This would most likely lead to O2 depletion and hypoxia.