After an upper abdominal surgery for gallbladder disease, which intervention best prevents respiratory complications?

After an upper abdominal surgery for gallbladder disease, which intervention best prevents respiratory complications?

• A. Deep breathing and coughing every 2 hours
• B. Ambulate once daily
• C. ROM exercises hourly
• D. NPO for several days

Answer: (D)

After upper abdominal surgery, the biggest threat to the lungs is shallow breathing from pain, which can lead to atelectasis and pneumonia. The intervention that best prevents these respiratory complications is deep breathing and coughing every 2 hours. Taking slow, deep breaths expands the alveoli, improves ventilation, and helps move secretions toward the larger airways where coughing can clear them. Pain control supports this process because comfortable patients can take fuller breaths. Ambulating once daily and doing ROM exercises are helpful for overall recovery and circulation, but they don’t address lung expansion and airway clearance as directly as dedicated deep-breathing and coughing. Keeping the patient NPO for several days does not prevent respiratory complications and can delay recovery, so it isn’t an effective strategy for this purpose.

After upper abdominal surgery, the biggest threat to the lungs is shallow breathing from pain, which can lead to atelectasis and pneumonia. The intervention that best prevents these respiratory complications is deep breathing and coughing every 2 hours. Taking slow, deep breaths expands the alveoli, improves ventilation, and helps move secretions toward the larger airways where coughing can clear them. Pain control supports this process because comfortable patients can take fuller breaths.

Ambulating once daily and doing ROM exercises are helpful for overall recovery and circulation, but they don’t address lung expansion and airway clearance as directly as dedicated deep-breathing and coughing. Keeping the patient NPO for several days does not prevent respiratory complications and can delay recovery, so it isn’t an effective strategy for this purpose.