After a bronchoscopy, which assessment should the nurse perform first on the patient?

After a bronchoscopy, it is essential to assess for a gag reflex first because the procedure involves passing a bronchoscope through the throat, which can temporarily impair the patient's ability to swallow and protect their airway. The gag reflex is crucial for preventing aspiration; if it is decreased or absent, there is a higher risk of food, liquids, or secretions entering the trachea and leading to aspiration pneumonia or other airway complications.

Checking for a gag reflex is also important to determine when the patient is safe to eat or drink post-procedure. Since the bronchoscopy may require sedation or anesthesia, the gag reflex can be transiently affected, thus warranting this assessment before moving on to other evaluations.

Assessing for signs of respiratory distress, monitoring oxygen saturation levels, and evaluating pain levels are also important assessments but follow the assessment of the gag reflex. Ensuring that the patient can safely swallow and has a functioning gag reflex is a priority to protect the airway and ensure overall safety before addressing other needs.