Question

The nurse reviews the medical record of a patient with a pneumothorax and notes that the patient has a minimal amount of fluid accumulated in the intrapleural space and that the patient is stable. Which does the nurse infer?

A. No treatment may be needed.
B. The patient will require treatment with chest tube drainage.
C. Treatment will include aspiration using a large-bore needle.
D. The primary treatment plan will be needle decompression.

Answer 1

Upon reviewing the patient's records, the nurse concludes that the stable pneumothorax with minimal fluid accumulation does not require aggressive treatment like needle decompression; monitoring and conservative management may suffice due to the maintenance of negative intrapleural pressure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse infers that the patient with a pneumothorax experiencing a minimal amount of fluid in the intrapleural space and stable condition will likely not need aggressive interventions such as needle decompression. Instead, the situation may be managed with careful monitoring and less invasive treatments. Understanding the physiology of the intrapleural space and the forces at play, such as negative intrapleural pressure and transpulmonary pressure, helps explain why a minimal fluid accumulation might not be immediately life-threatening and may resolve without major intervention.

The intrapleural space normally has a pressure of around -4 mm Hg, indicating a delicate balance maintained by the pleural fluid. In the case of the patient, despite the presence of a pneumothorax, this balance has not been significantly disrupted, indicating that the patient is stable.