Question

a nurse is caring for a client who has a hemothorax. hemothorax and pneumothorax have similar manifestations. which of the following manifestations should the nurse understand are found with hemothorax? (select all that apply.)
barrel chest
respiratory distress
tachycardia
blood in the lung
signs of shock

Explanation:

• Respiratory distress: Hemothorax (blood in the pleural space) compresses the lung, reducing its ability to expand, which leads to respiratory distress as the body struggles to get adequate oxygen.
• Tachycardia: The body’s compensatory mechanism for decreased oxygenation (due to lung compression from hemothorax) and potential blood loss (if significant hemothorax) is to increase heart rate (tachycardia) to try to maintain cardiac output and oxygen delivery to tissues.
• Blood in the lung (in the pleural space context): By definition, hemothorax is the accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity (around the lung).
• Signs of shock: If there is significant blood loss (as in a large hemothorax), the body can go into shock (e.g., hypovolemic shock from blood loss), presenting with signs like hypotension (a sign of shock), altered mental status (due to poor cerebral perfusion), etc.
• Barrel chest is typically associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to hyperinflation of the lungs over time, not with hemothorax.

Answer:

B. Respiratory distress, C. Tachycardia, D. Blood in the lung, E. Signs of shock