MEDizzy - The nurse prepares a client for a bedside thoracentesis. The

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Reduction of Risk Potential

The nurse prepares a client for a bedside thoracentesis. The nurse helps the client into a sitting position with a pillow placed on top of the overbed table in front of the client for support. The nurse understands that this is the correct client position for a thoracentesis because:

ExplanationA thoracentesis is performed to aspirate fluid or air from the pleural space. With the client in an upright position, fluid will accumulate at the base of the pleural cavity, allowing for maximal fluid removal. This position does not relieve pain. It does allow for maximal lung expansion, but this is not the reason why the client is placed in this position. Regardless of position, a pneumothorax is always a potential risk.