What intervention should a nurse provide to facilitate effective coughing in a postoperative patient?

• A. Administer decongestants
• B. Apply cold therapy to chest
• C. Provide analgesia and demonstrate splinting technique using a pillow
• D. Encourage coughing without splinting

Answer: (C)

Cough effectiveness after surgery hinges on two things: reducing pain so the patient can take a full breath and cough, and stabilizing the chest wall during the cough to protect the incision. Providing analgesia eases incisional pain, allowing a deeper inhale and a stronger cough that helps move secretions. Demonstrating splinting with a pillow gives the chest or abdomen support, which reduces pain during coughing and keeps the surgical site protected while still enabling a productive cough. This combination directly supports airway clearance and lowers the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Other options don’t address both pain control and chest wall stability: decongestants don’t tackle the pain or splinting needs, cold therapy isn’t aimed at improving cough effectiveness, and encouraging coughing without splinting can be painful and ineffective.