A nurse is caring for a patient at risk for atelectasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which independent nursing measure should the nurse prioritize to prevent the development of atelectasis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A.
Ambulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.
Oxygen therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C.
Incentive spirometry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D.
Increase oral fluid intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Correct answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct answer is C. Incentive spirometry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atelectasis is the partial or complete collapse of the lung, which can occur when alveoli are not fully inflated. This condition is particularly common in patients who are immobile, have undergone surgery, or have respiratory issues. To prevent atelectasis, nurses implement various independent measures, and incentive spirometry is one of the most effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Incentive spirometry<\/strong> encourages patients to take deep breaths by using a device that provides visual feedback. This practice promotes the expansion of the lungs and helps keep the alveoli open. By using the incentive spirometer regularly, patients can improve their lung volumes, enhance gas exchange, and mobilize secretions, all of which are crucial in preventing atelectasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ambulation<\/strong> (Option A) is also an important measure for preventing atelectasis, as movement encourages lung expansion and circulation. However, incentive spirometry can be specifically tailored to address the alveolar inflation aspect directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oxygen therapy<\/strong> (Option B) can be beneficial for patients with hypoxia or severe respiratory distress, but it does not address the underlying issue of alveolar collapse. It may temporarily alleviate symptoms but does not prevent atelectasis directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Increasing oral fluid intake<\/strong> (Option D) is essential for overall hydration and can help thin mucus, but it does not have a direct role in preventing atelectasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, while ambulation and hydration are important for overall patient care, incentive spirometry is the most targeted and effective independent nursing intervention to specifically prevent atelectasis. It encourages deep breathing and lung expansion, which are critical in maintaining optimal lung function.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A nurse is caring for a patient at risk for atelectasis. Which independent nursing measure should the nurse prioritize to prevent the development of atelectasis? A.Ambulation. B.Oxygen therapy. C.Incentive spirometry. D.Increase oral fluid intake. The Correct answer and Explanation is: The correct answer is C. Incentive spirometry. Explanation: Atelectasis is the partial or complete collapse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n