Client with Inhalation Injury Wheezing Stops: Nurse’s Best Action

Nurse’s Best Action

The nurse’s best action when a client with an inhalation injury who was wheezing 6 hours ago now has no wheezes is to continue to monitor the client’s respiratory status closely. This is because the client is still at risk for respiratory complications, such as bronchospasm, edema, and atelectasis.

The nurse should monitor the client’s vital signs, respiratory rate, depth, and effort. The nurse should also listen to the client’s breath sounds and look for any signs of respiratory distress, such as dyspnea, cyanosis, and restlessness.

The nurse should also reassess the client’s respiratory status regularly, especially in the first 24 hours after the inhalation injury. The nurse should be alert for any signs of respiratory deterioration, such as:

• Increased respiratory rate
• Decreased respiratory depth
• Increased work of breathing
• Wheezing
• Cyanosis
• Restlessness

If the nurse detects any signs of respiratory deterioration, the nurse should notify the healthcare team immediately.

Other Nursing Interventions

In addition to monitoring the client’s respiratory status, the nurse may also need to implement other nursing interventions, such as:

• Administering medications: The nurse may need to administer medications to the client to help them breathe, such as bronchodilators or corticosteroids.
• Providing oxygen therapy: The nurse may need to provide oxygen therapy to the client to help them breathe.
• Positioning the client: The nurse may need to position the client in a way to promote lung expansion and improve ventilation.
• Providing humidified air: The nurse may need to provide humidified air to the client to help loosen secretions and make it easier to breathe.

Conclusion

The nurse’s best action when a client with an inhalation injury who was wheezing 6 hours ago now has no wheezes is to continue to monitor the client’s respiratory status closely. The nurse should also reassess the client’s respiratory status regularly and be alert for any signs of respiratory deterioration. The nurse may also need to implement other nursing interventions, such as administering medications, providing oxygen therapy, positioning the client, and providing humidified air.

Additional Information

It is important to note that the client’s wheezing may have stopped due to a number of factors, such as the administration of medications, the passage of time, and the client’s own body’s ability to heal. However, it is important to continue to monitor the client’s respiratory status closely, as the client is still at risk for respiratory complications.