A client arrives to the emergency department (ED) following a motor vehicle collision. The nurse observes the client experiencing increasing dyspnea and notes absent breath sounds on the left side. Which procedure should the nurse prepare the client for?

A. Bronchoscopy: This procedure allows visualization of the airways and removal of obstructions but does not address a collapsed lung caused by trauma. It is not appropriate for immediate management of absent breath sounds after chest injury. B. Endotracheal intubation: Intubation supports airway patency and ventilation but will not re-expand a lung collapsed by pneumothorax. While useful if respiratory failure develops, it does not treat the underlying problem of air in the pleural space. C. Pulmonary function test: Pulmonary function testing is a non-urgent diagnostic tool for chronic lung conditions, not for acute trauma. It provides information on long-term respiratory capacity but has no role in emergency stabilization. D. Chest tube insertion: Absent breath sounds and dyspnea after chest trauma suggest pneumothorax. Chest tube insertion removes air from the pleural cavity, allowing the lung to re-expand, making this the immediate and life-saving intervention.