The nurse provides preoperative instruction for a patient scheduled for a left pneumonectomy. Which information should the nurse include about the patient's postoperative care?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Frequent deep breathing and coughing are needed after chest surgery to prevent atelectasis. To promote gas exchange,patients after pneumonectomy are positioned on the surgical side. Early mobilization decreases the risk for postoperative complications such as pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis. In a pneumonectomy,chest tubes may or may not be placed in the space from which the lung was removed. If a chest tube is used,it is clamped and only released by the surgeon to adjust the volume of serosanguineous fluid that will fill the space vacated by the lung. If the cavity overfills,it could compress the remaining lung and compromise the cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Daily chest x-rays can be used to assess the volume and space.

The Nurse Provides Preoperative Instruction for a Patient Scheduled for a Left