Assignment task: The nurse documents the findings of the initial assessment of patient. Select to highlight findings that would indicate potential pneumothorax of the left lung rather than right lung.
Patient has difficulty maintaining breathing while talking. Hyperresonance on left side with percussion. Patient says he noticed he was having problems catching his breath earlier in the day. He said he sat and rested to see if breathing would improve, but it did not get better. States he feels pain when breathing. Breath sounds normal on R side and absent on L side. Patient complains of increasing pain sensation with larger movements. Slight intercostal retractions on left side. Pain is 7 out of 10.