Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 95%
Simulated
A client has a chest tube attached to a waterseal drainage system and the nurse notes that the fluid in the chest tube and in the water-seal column has stopped fluctuating. The nurse should determine:
Correct answer
A
Rationale
Lack of fluctuation in the water-seal column suggests the lung has fully expanded, resolving the pneumothorax. Collapsed lung, tube placement, or mediastinal changes would show other signs.