Question

A nurse is assessing a client who has advanced lung cancer and is receiving palliative care. The client has just undergone thoracentesis. The nurse should expect a reduction in which of the following common manifestations of advanced cancer?

a) Cough
b) Dyspnea
c) Chest pain
d) Pleural effusion

Answer 1

After thoracentesis, a nurse should expect a reduction in pleural effusion in a client with advanced lung cancer, which can relieve symptoms like dyspnea.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse is assessing a client who has advanced lung cancer and is receiving palliative care. After the client has undergone a thoracentesis, the nurse should expect a reduction in pleural effusion. Thoracentesis is a medical procedure used to drain fluid from the space around the lungs (pleural space), which can relieve pressure on the lungs and improve symptoms such as dyspnea (difficulty breathing). However, while thoracentesis can provide symptomatic relief, it mainly targets the accumulation of fluid (pleural effusion) rather than directly alleviating the signs and symptoms of advanced cancer itself, such as cough, chest pain, or bleeding. Hence, a noticeable decrease in pleural effusion is expected, leading to an improvement in dyspnea.During thoracentesis, a hollow needle is inserted into the pleural space to drain excess fluid, such as pleural effusion, which can cause dyspnea.

Therefore, the correct answer is b) Dyspnea.