Nursing Interventions part 3 (10)

what are the components of chest physiotherapy?

percussion, vibration, postural drainage

what does chest PT help with?

loosening, dislodging, and mobilizing secretions

• clearing the airway

what is percussion in chest physiotherapy?

striking the chest with cupped hands to loosen secretions

what is vibration in chest physiotherapy?

manual compression or shaking on the chest wall to loosen secretions

what is postural drainage in chest physiotherapy?

positioning to let gravity drain secretions

what caution should you follow during chest physiotherapy?

avoid tender surgical areas during percussion and vibration

what are indications (reasons) for suctioning?

• maintain a patent airway

• remove saliva, secretions, blood, vomitus, foreign material

#1 priority for a patient’s airway

keep it patent (open)

4 types of suctioning

• oral

• oropharyngeal

• nasopharyngeal

• tracheal

what is the priority message related to suctioning?

patent airway is the #1 priority; suction to clear a blocked airway

potential complications of suctioning

hypoxia, mucosal trauma, infection

what pre-suction step improves safety?

preoxygenate before suctioning to reduce hypoxemia risk

what medication classes meet oxygen needs?

• bronchodilators

• corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory)

• mucolytics

what devices deliver inhaled medications?

• nebulizer

• metered dose inhaler (MDI)

• dry powder inhaler (DPI)

what basic patient-teaching points apply to inhaled meds?

• how to use correctly

• avoid overuse

• track doses

• inhale through mouth

• hold breath for 5-10 seconds after use

should inhalation with MDI/DPI be through the mouth or nose?

inhale through the mouth (not mouth)

how long should the breath be held after inhalation?

hold for 5-10 seconds

how should a nebulizer be cared for after use?

clean the nebulizer after each use

what is the correct order when using more than one inhaler?

use the bronchodilator first, then the corticosteroid

what accessory can improve MDI delivery?

a spacer as a reservoir

what mouth care is needed after steroid inhalers?

rinse the mouth after using a corticosteroid inhaler

• prevents fungal infection