Which nursing assessment will indicate the patient is performing diaphragmatic breathing correctly?

A) Hands placed on the border of the rib cage with fingers extended will touch as the chest wall contracts.
B) Hands placed on the chest wall with fingers extended will separate as the chest wall contracts.
C) The patient will feel upward movement of the diaphragm during inspiration.
D) The patient will feel downward movement of the diaphragm during expiration.

Question

Zybrea Knight · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : A, Explanation :  Positioning the hands along the borders of the rib cage allows the patient to feel movement of the chest and abdomen as the diaphragm descends and the lungs expand. As the patient takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, the middle fingers will touch while the chest wall contracts. The fingers will separate as the chest wall expands. The patient will feel normal downward movement of the diaphragm during inspiration and normal upward movement during expiration.

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