Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 63%
Simulated
One hour after a left thoracotomy, a patient reports incisional pain at a level 7 (based on 0 to 10 scale) and has decreased left-sided breath sounds. The pleural drainage system has 50 mLs of bloody drainage, and the nurse observes fluctuation in the water seal chamber. Which action should the nurse take?
Correct answer
A
Rationale
Administering pain medication is the priority to improve comfort and respiratory effort, as pain can impair deep breathing. The drainage and fluctuation are expected post-thoracotomy.