For a patient experiencing worsening chest pain on deep breathing and orthopnea, what nursing intervention should be anticipated?

In the context of a patient experiencing worsening chest pain upon deep breathing and orthopnea, administering furosemide is a pertinent intervention. These symptoms could indicate heart failure or fluid overload, where the presence of excess fluid in the lungs causes orthopnea and may lead to pleuritic chest pain due to inflammation or irritation of the pleura.

Furosemide, a loop diuretic, helps to manage symptoms by promoting the excretion of excess fluid through diuresis. This can alleviate pulmonary congestion, subsequently reducing the inhalation discomfort and improving overall respiratory function. By effectively decreasing fluid retention, the administration of furosemide directly addresses the underlying issue that may be contributing to the patient's symptoms.

Considering the other options: while monitoring cardiac activity is important in patients with chest pain, the primary intervention for symptoms suggestive of fluid overload is to alleviate that situation immediately, rather than just monitoring. Increasing the oxygen flow rate could provide supportive care, but it does not address fluid overload directly. Finally, a bedside echocardiogram may give valuable diagnostic information, but immediate symptom relief is a priority, making diuresis the more critical first-step intervention in this scenario.