A nurse discovers that a client's central venous catheter (CVC) tubing has accidentally disconnected from the injection cap. The client suddenly appears extremely restless, is gasping for air, and exhibits circumoral cyanosis. Which of the following is the priority nursing action?
- Clamp the catheter and place the client in a left lateral Trendelenburg position.Cevap
- BElevate the head of the bed to a high-Fowler's position and administer high-flow oxygen.
- CIncrease the primary intravenous fluid infusion rate to manage suspected hypovolemic shock.
- DClamp the catheter and position the client in a right side-lying position.
Cevap
The priority action is to immediately clamp the catheter and place the client in a left lateral Trendelenburg position.
When a central venous catheter becomes disconnected, the negative intrathoracic pressure during inspiration can draw air into the bloodstream, causing a life-threatening air embolism. The priority is to immediately clamp the catheter to prevent further air entry. Placing the client in a left lateral Trendelenburg position traps the air in the apex of the right atrium, preventing it from migrating into the right ventricle and pulmonary circulation where it would cause a fatal outflow obstruction.
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Anahtar Kavram
Management of a central venous air embolism involves immediately stopping the air entry (clamping) and positioning the client on their left side in Trendelenburg to trap the air in the right atrium.