RN Exam Practice
Reduction of Risk PotentialQuestion 1919 of 2368

The nurse finds the water in the water seal chamber of a chest drainage system at the 1 cm mark. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. Leave the level, because 1 cm is expected
  2. Remove water until the level is at 0 cm
  3. Add sterile water to the suction control chamber
  4. Add sterile water to bring the level to the 2 cm mark
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Correct answer: Add sterile water to bring the level to the 2 cm mark

The water seal should be maintained at the 2 cm mark to work properly. Fill with additional sterile water as needed.

Source: Nursing Advanced Skills (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Manage Chest Tube Drainage Systems: Chest Tube Drainage System Chambers. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Reduction of Risk Potential"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026