Practice Quiz

CEN Practice Exam (Certified Emergency Nurse)

Category - Patient Care

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You are encouraging your postoperative patient to cough and take deep breaths. The patient questions why it is so important to do this. Your response would include the understanding that retaining pulmonary secretions can lead to:
  1. Fluid imbalance
  2. Carbon dioxide retention
  3. Pulmonary edema
  4. Pneumonia
Explanation
Answer: D - Coughing and deep breath exercises help prevent pneumonia in the postoperative patient. Pneumonia is inflammation of lung tissue that causes productive cough, dyspnea and crackles. Postoperative complications related to pneumonia can be prevented if the patient is encouraged to cough and breathe deeply.
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