Clinical judgment challenge: Safety; Patient-Centered Care; Interprofessional Teamwork

and Collaboration

1. Your patient is a 56-year-old man who had an extensive open abdominal surgery yesterday.
He has thick secretions and developed a mucus plug. He has just returned from a bronchoscopy.

1. What are your priorities for post-procedure care? Provide a rationale for your choices.

2. The patient is also receiving frequent opioids for pain control after his recent surgery. What, if
any, concerns do you have about this therapy?