Author Question: A 97-year-old patient is admitted to the medical unit with a productive cough and bi-lateral ... (Read 98 times)

SAVANNAHHOOPER23 · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

A 97-year-old patient is admitted to the medical unit with a productive cough and bi-lateral congestion and is reporting weakness. His vital signs are 106/78, 82, 24, and a temperature of 97 degrees F. (oral). When told that it is suspected that he has pn

a. the temperature needs to be taken tympanically
b. in a 97-year-old, a temperature of 97 degrees F. is considered febrile
c. a lack of fever cannot be used to rule out an infection in older adults
d. oral temperatures are always inaccurate in older adults

Question 2

During a pre-operative assessment, a 79-year-old female client describes that she has to urinate frequently but denies having any pain or discomfort with voiding. The nurse documents the data and:

a. recognizes that this is normal for a client of this age
b. is particularly interested in her temperature since she may have a urinary tract infection
c. is concerned and checks the client's blood glucose levels since this is a sign of diabetes
d. notifies the surgeon of the situation immediately

1_Step_At_ATime · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
An age-related change in older adults is temperature regulation. Because of this and a de-layed immune response, a lack of fever cannot be used to rule out infection in older adults. Although the old-old have lower body temperatures than younger adults, the range of normal temperature is from 95 to 97 degrees. Even though there may be some discrepancies between oral, tympanic, and basal temperatures in older adults, there is no evidence that oral temperatures are always inaccurate or in this case less preferred than the tympanic.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
One of the normal age-related changes is a reduction in bladder capacity. The capacity de-clines from 500 to 600 mL in a younger adult to 250 mL in an older adult. Given that this is her only symptom, it is unlikely the client has a urinary tract infection or diabetes. This is not a situation that requires immediate notification since it does not jeopardize the surgery.