Author Question: A 40-year-old patient was in a motor vehicle accident. Among his injuries and related problems are ... (Read 107 times)

saliriagwu · **on:** Jul 16, 2018

A 40-year-old patient was in a motor vehicle accident. Among his injuries and related problems are three broken ribs on the right side, pleural fluid in the right pleural space, and atelectasis of both lungs.

What should be done to help with the atelectasis problem?
1. Adequate pain management
2. Mechanical ventilation to stabilize the broken ribs
3. Remove the pleural fluid
4. Selective intubation of the right mainstem bronchus
a. 1, 3
b. 2, 4
c. 1, 2, 3
d. 1, 2, 3, 4

Question 2

In the early stages of a lung abscess, a patient would most likely have a:

a. nonproductive, hacking cough.
b. productive cough with foul-smelling, grey sputum.
c. productive cough with hemoptysis.
d. productive cough with copious white sputum.

HandsomeMarc · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 16, 2018

Answer to Question 1

A
Adequate pain management will help the patient to mobilize and take in a deep breath to cough effectively. Removal of the pleural fluid will enable the lung to reexpand. Mechanical ventilation would only be needed if the patient had a flail chest. Selective right bronchial intubation could lead to atelectasis of the left lung.

Answer to Question 2

A
In the early stages of the development of a lung abscess, a nonproductive barking or hacking cough would be present.