A CRASH COURSE IN THE NURSING OF THE THORACIC SURGERY PATIENT

摘要

Nursing the patient with thoracic trauma or the post-operative thoracic surgery patient involves a multi-system approach and thorough knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the thoracic cavity and corresponding internal structures, and knowledge of the pathophysiology of the specific disease process. Patients may have suffered thoracic trauma, both blunt and penetrating, or have pericardial disease, pleural disease (chylothorax, pyothorax, etc), thoracic cancer, esophageal disease, cardiac disease or mediastinal disease, among some others. Patients may have thoracic drains, chest tubes, have been on a ventilator or require ventilation, have fractured ribs, hypoventilation or receive a lung lobectomy. Knowledge of how to prepare for each of these is important to adequately care for these patients.