A nurse is auscultating a client's lungs during the initial assessment of the patient in the emergency room. The nurse hears wheezes on expiration in the lower posterior lobes bilaterally. Which of the following actions should the nurse do first?

Have the client cough, then listen again

Teach patient pursed-lip breathing

Check O₂ saturation and apply O₂

Administer nebulizer treatment

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

A. Having the client cough, then listening again is correct. Sometimes wheezing can be due to mucus or secretions in the airways, and coughing can help clear them. If wheezing persists, further assessment and interventions may be needed.
B. Teaching pursed-lip breathing is beneficial for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients but is not the first action in an acute assessment.
C. Checking O₂ saturation and applying O₂ is important but not the first step. Oxygen therapy is not indicated unless there is evidence of hypoxia.
D. Administering a nebulizer treatment should only be done if wheezing persists and is causing respiratory distress, but the nurse should first confirm that the wheezing is not due to mucus plugging, which may resolve with coughing.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. The left lower quadrant contains portions of the small and large intestines but is not the starting point for palpating the bladder.
B. The nurse should begin palpating at the symphysis pubis because the bladder is located in the lower abdomen. When distended, it rises above the pubic symphysis and can extend toward the umbilicus.
C. The right upper quadrant contains the liver and gallbladder but is not relevant to bladder assessment.
D. A significantly distended bladder may extend above the umbilicus, but the nurse should begin palpation at the symphysis pubis and move upward to assess for distention.

A. Air being diverted from the trachea to the bronchi B. Air passing through constricted passageways C. Air increasing in turbulence in a wide passage D. Air leaking from the alveoli into the pleural space

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Air being diverted from the trachea to the bronchi does not explain the cause of a wheeze. This is a normal part of airflow distribution.
B. Air passing through constricted passageways is correct. A wheeze is a high-pitched, musical sound that occurs when air flows through narrowed or obstructed airways, as seen in conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or bronchitis.
C. Air increasing in turbulence in a wide passage is incorrect. Wheezing occurs due to airway narrowing, not widening.
D. Air leaking from the alveoli into the pleural space describes pneumothorax, which presents with absent breath sounds rather than wheezing.

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A nurse is auscultating a client's lungs during the initial assessment of the patient in the emergency room. The nurse hears wheezes on expiration in the lower posterior lobes bilaterally. Which of the following actions should the nurse do first?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is performing a comprehensive abdomen assessment including inspection, auscultation, and palpation. Upon palpation, the client's bladder is found to be distended. What location would the nurse begin palpating for the distended bladder?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

The nurse's auscultation of a client's lung fields reveals the presence of a wheeze. The nurse should recognize that this adventitious sound results from what pathophysiologic process?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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