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Difficulty: Very hardReduction of Risk Potential

A nurse assumes care for a client who is 4 hours postoperative following a right-sided pneumonectomy for bronchogenic carcinoma. The client has no chest tube in place. Current vital signs are: heart rate 112/min, respiratory rate 24/min, blood pressure 118/76 mm Hg, and SpO2 93% on 3 L/min of oxygen via nasal cannula. The nurse observes the client lying in the left lateral decubitus position with the head of the bed elevated 30 degrees. Assessment reveals absent breath sounds on the right side and a trachea that is deviated slightly to the right. Which intervention should the nurse implement FIRST to reduce the client's risk for sudden physiological decompensation?

  1. Reposition the client to a supine or right lateral position immediately.Answer
  2. B
    Maintain the current position and encourage the use of an incentive spirometer.
  3. C
    Notify the rapid response team to report the right-sided tracheal deviation.
  4. D
    Prepare to obtain an arterial blood gas sample to evaluate the tachypnea.

Answer

The nurse should immediately reposition the client to a supine or right lateral (operative side) position.
Following a pneumonectomy, the client must be positioned either supine or on the operative side (the right side, in this scenario). This position promotes maximum ventilation of the remaining healthy lung by preventing mediastinal shift and fluid compression. If the client lies on the unoperated side, gravity pulls the fluid accumulating in the empty surgical cavity downward, which compresses the remaining functional lung and can lead to sudden respiratory failure. It also increases the risk of fluid drowning the good lung if the bronchial stump sutures rupture.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's surgical procedure and current position.
The client had a right-sided pneumonectomy but is positioned on the left (unoperated) side.
Identifying the mismatch between the surgical site and the current position is the first step in recognizing physiological risk.
2
Evaluate the clinical assessment findings against expected postoperative norms.
Absent right-sided breath sounds, no chest tube, and a right-deviated trachea are all expected findings after a right pneumonectomy.
Differentiating expected anatomical changes from emergency complications (like tension pneumothorax) prevents unnecessary interventions.
3
Determine the physiological consequence of the client's current position.
Lying on the unoperated left side allows gravity to pull mediastinal fluid downward, compressing the only functioning lung and risking a bronchial stump leak.
Understanding the mechanism of injury dictates the priority intervention.
4
Select the immediate intervention that eliminates the mechanical threat.
Repositioning the client to the supine or operative (right) side immediately relieves the compression on the remaining lung.
According to the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), resolving a mechanical obstruction to breathing takes priority over further assessment or notification.

Key Concept

Post-pneumonectomy positioning requires placing the client on the operative side or supine to facilitate expansion of the remaining lung and prevent mediastinal compression.
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Reduction of Risk Potential

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