Question

A- a client who is postoperative following a thoracotomy and has a chest tube with 150 mL of bright-red blood in the collection chamber from the past 1 hr

Option 1:
Notify the healthcare provider immediately and assess the client's respiratory status.

Option 2:
Document the findings and continue to monitor the chest tube drainage.

Option 3:
Instruct the client to cough forcefully to clear the blood from the chest tube.

Option 4:
Administer pain medication and reassure the client that this is a normal postoperative occurrence.

Answer 1

In this case, the appropriate action would be to notify the healthcare provider immediately and assess the client's respiratory status.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, the appropriate action would be to Notify the healthcare provider immediately and assess the client's respiratory status. A chest tube with 150 mL of bright-red blood in the collection chamber from the past hour indicates active bleeding, which is not a normal postoperative occurrence. It is important to notify the healthcare provider immediately to ensure prompt evaluation and intervention.