HESI Registered Nurse EXIT Practice Exam

What should a nurse do if a child undergoing CPT starts to cough?

1. Stop the therapy immediately

2. Encourage deep breathing

3. Check the child’s position

4. Reduce the therapy frequency

The correct answer is: Check the child’s position

When a child undergoing chest physiotherapy (CPT) starts to cough, checking the child's position is the appropriate response because proper positioning can help facilitate airway clearance and make the process more effective. Coughing during CPT might indicate that the child is clearing secretions, and ensuring they are in the correct position can aid this process. The nurse should ensure that the child is in a position that promotes drainage of the lungs, depending on the area being treated. Encouraging deep breathing can be beneficial, but ensuring the child is properly positioned takes precedence to maximize the effectiveness of CPT. Stopping therapy immediately might hinder the necessary process of clearing secretions, and reducing therapy frequency could lead to inadequate treatment of the child’s airway condition, both of which are not ideal responses in this scenario.