An 80-year-old develops pneumonia in the hospital. An assessment ...

[clmills979]

An 80-year-old develops pneumonia in the hospital. An assessment identifies that the patient is cyanotic and tachycardic and has developed a fever and a cough.
 
  Chest x-ray reveals pus in the pleural space. This symptomology supports which medical diagno-sis?
  a. Empyema
  b. Emphysema
  c. Pleurisy
  d. Chyle

Question 2

What type of breathing will the nurse observe while assessing a patient experiencing both meta-bolic acidosis and Kussmaul respirations?
 
  a. Audible wheezing or stridor
  b. Increased rate, large tidal volumes, and no expiratory pause
  c. Rapid respirations with periods of apnea
  d. Very slow inhalations and rapid expira-tions

[sultana.d]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
The presence of pus in the pleural space is termed empyema; emphysema is a total lung disorder. Pleurisy causes pain with inspiration. Chyle is milky fluid with lymph and fat.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Kussmaul respirations are characterized by a slightly increased ventilatory rate, very large tidal volumes, and no expiratory pause. Audible wheezing is usually associated with conditions such as asthma, and stridor indicates a narrowed airway. Cheyne-Stokes respirations are characterized by alternating periods of deep and shallow breathing, with periods of apnea lasting from 15 to 60 seconds. Kussmaul respirations do not have slow inhalations; bronchiolar disorders have these characteristics.