Question

A patient's primary care provider has informed the nurse that the patient will require thoracentesis. The nurse should suspect that the patient has developed which of the following disorders of lung function?

a) Pneumonia
b) Pleural effusion
c) Tachypnea
d) Wheezes

Answer 1

The patient may have developed pleural effusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should suspect that the patient has developed pleural effusion.

Pleural effusion is the build-up of fluid in the pleural space, the space between the two layers of tissue that line the lungs. This accumulation of fluid can compress the lungs and cause difficulty breathing.

Other symptoms may include chest pain, coughing, and decreased breath sounds on one side of the chest. Thoracentesis, the procedure mentioned, involves inserting a needle into the pleural space to drain the fluid.