A patient presents with chest trauma from an MVA.Upon assessment, the nurse documents that the patient is complaining of dyspnea, shortness of breath, tachypnea, and tracheal deviation to the right.In addition, the client's tongue is blue-gray.Based on the following data, what the nurse would expect to find?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The clinical picture described is most consistent with left pneumothorax.This would cause the trachea to deviate to the right, away from the increasing pressure of the left.A pneumothorax this severe would completely collapse the right lung, thus causing absent breath sounds in that lung.

A Patient Presents with Chest Trauma from an MVA