Question

One evening an older client with a diagnosis of dementia chokes on a piece of food and becomes panicky and cyanotic. The nurse performs the abdominal thrust maneuver, and a bolus of food pops out of the client's mouth. After several deep respirations, the client's cyanosis passes. What is the most appropriate for the nurse to do next?

a) Continue monitoring the client closely for any signs of distress.
b) Document the incident and inform the healthcare provider.
c) Administer oxygen to ensure proper oxygenation.
d) Encourage the client to resume eating with caution.

Answer 1

The most appropriate next step for the nurse after clearing a choking incident is to continue monitoring the client for any signs of distress before proceeding with other actions such as documentation or potentially resuming eating.

Step-by-step explanation:

After successfully performing the abdominal thrust maneuver on an older client with dementia who was choking, the nurse's most appropriate next step is to continue monitoring the client closely for any signs of distress. While documentation of the incident and informing the healthcare provider are important steps, they can be done after ensuring that the client's condition has stabilized. Administering oxygen may not be necessary if the client is breathing normally and has regained proper coloration. Encouraging the client to resume eating immediately should be done with caution, and only after the client's condition is fully assessed and it is deemed safe.