Which practice is part of pneumonia prevention in chest-tube patients?

• A. Early mobilization and deep breathing
• B. Prolonged bed rest
• C. Avoiding chest drainage
• D. Withholding pain control

Answer: (A)

Keeping the lungs expanded through early movement and deliberate deep breathing helps prevent pneumonia after chest-tube placement. When patients stay still or breathe shallowly because of pain, small areas of lung collapse (atelectasis) can occur, trapping secretions and creating a favorable environment for infection. Encouraging activity as tolerated (sitting up, ambulation) and using deep-breathing exercises or incentive spirometry promotes full ventilation, opens collapsed airways, and enhances clearance of mucus. This combination lowers the risk of pneumonia.

Prolonged bed rest would worsen lung atelectasis and infection risk, avoiding chest drainage is not appropriate, and withholding pain control would make deep breathing and coughing even harder, increasing pneumonia risk.