Final answer:
The indication of lung re-expansion in a client with a pneumothorax and a closed-chest drainage system is the absence of fluctuation in the water seal chamber, as it signifies that the lung is no longer drawing air in and out through the chest tube, meaning it has likely re-expanded and the negative pressure has been restored.
Step-by-step explanation:
The client with a pneumothorax and a closed-chest drainage system being monitored for signs of lung re-expansion should exhibit certain changes indicative of improvement. In this context, lung re-expansion is indicated by absence of fluctuation in the water seal chamber, not by continuous bubbling, increased drainage output, or a change in the color of the chest tube drainage. Continuous bubbling could indicate a leak in the system, while increased drainage and a change in the color of the drainage could suggest complications such as infection or continued bleeding.
In a normally functioning closed-chest drainage system, there is always a slightly negative pressure within the thoracic cavity, particularly during inhalation, which helps keep the airways open. A pneumothorax disrupts this negative pressure, so the system aims to eliminate air and fluid from the pleural space, allowing the lung to re-expand and the negative pressure to be reestablished. When the lung has fully re-expanded, the fluctuations (tidaling) in the water seal chamber that occur with the patient's breaths will cease because the lung is no longer drawing air in and pushing it out through the tube.