Editing Reduction of Risk Potential – RN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 11==
A nurse observes continuous vigorous bubbling in the water seal chamber of a client's closed chest drainage system. What is the nurse's priority action?
# Document the finding as an expected sign of lung re-expansion.
# Clamp the chest tube near the insertion site for 30 minutes and reassess.
# Assess the system and the insertion site for an air leak, tightening connections and checking the dressing, then notify the provider if it persists.
# Strip the tubing to clear any obstruction.

'''Answer:''' Option 3. Assess the system and the insertion site for an air leak, tightening connections and checking the dressing, then notify the provider if it persists.

''Rationale:'' Continuous bubbling in the '''water seal''' chamber indicates air entering the system, either from the client or through a loose connection or dislodged dressing. The nurse systematically checks the tubing, connections, and site. Intermittent bubbling with exhalation or coughing can be expected while a pneumothorax resolves, and gentle continuous bubbling belongs in the ''suction control'' chamber of a wet system, not the water seal. Option 1 misidentifies the finding. Option 2 risks tension pneumothorax, since routine clamping is contraindicated. Option 4 causes dangerously high negative pressure and is not routine practice.