A nurse was instructed to measure and document the amount of drainage from a patient's chest tube. The nurse should:
A)Clamp the tube, empty the fluid from the drainage collection chamber of the closed chest drainage system into a measuring cup, and reconnect the system
B)Connect a new closed chest drainage system, measure the fluid in the drainage collection chamber of the old system, and discard the old system
C)Aspirate fluid from the drainage collection chamber of the closed chest drainage system with a needle and syringe and measure the drainage
D)Mark the time and fluid level on the outside of the drainage collection chamber of the closed chest drainage system

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should mark the time and fluid level on the outside of the drainage collection chamber of the closed chest drainage system. This allows measuring the output without interrupting the closed drainage system.

A Nurse Was Instructed to Measure and Document the Amount