Question

The nurse should be alert for a complication of bronchiectasis that results from a combination of retained secretions and obstruction and that leads to the collapse of alveoli. What complication should the nurse monitor for?

A) Atelectasis
B) Emphysema
C) Pleurisy
D) Pneumonia

Answer 1

The nurse should monitor for atelectasis in a patient with bronchiectasis, as it results from a combination of retained secretions and obstruction that leads to alveolar collapse.

Step-by-step explanation:

The complication a nurse should monitor for in a patient with bronchiectasis, resulting from a combination of retained secretions and obstruction that leads to the collapse of alveoli, is atelectasis (A). Atelectasis is a condition characterized by the complete or partial collapse of a lung or lobe of a lung, which develops when the alveoli within the lung become deflated.

This is distinct from pneumonia, which involves inflammation and fluid filling the alveoli, and emphysema, where the alveoli walls break down, reducing the surface area for gas exchange and causing trapped air in the lungs. Both conditions, along with pleurisy, which is the inflammation of the pleura covering the lungs, can be related complications but are not directly caused by the combination of retained secretions and obstruction that specifically results in alveolar collapse.