Practice Question
A client with abdominal distention has an NG tube hooked to low gastric suction. The client is reporting anxiety, nausea, discomfort and a feeling of bloating. Which of the following is the nurse's priority action?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Check to see if the suction equipment is working.
Rationale:
🛠When a patient with abdominal distention and an NG tube to suction reports bloating, nausea, and discomfort, the priority is to confirm system function (source of decompression).
🛠A malfunctioning system (e.g., disconnected tubing, occlusion, loss of suction) prevents gastric decompression, allowing gastric/intestinal accumulation and worsened symptoms.
🛠Restoring suction often provides rapid symptom relief, reduces vomiting/aspiration risk, and decreases intraluminal pressure.
🛠Assessment-first aligns with airway/breathing/circulation and Maslow/urgent physiologic needs, correcting the cause rather than masking symptoms.
🛠Verification includes canister, tubing patency, wall unit settings, and NG placement; if issues persist, escalate per protocol.
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This question is from EXAM #4 UPPER AND LOWER GI FALL 25 CLARK STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE which contains 47 questions.
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From Exam
EXAM #4 UPPER AND LOWER GI FALL 25 CLARK STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
47 Questions
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- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: General Exams
- Domain: Medical-surgical📚
- Answer Choices: 4