The nurse is assessing a patient recovering from a motor vehicle ...

[maychende]

The nurse is assessing a patient recovering from a motor vehicle crash. Which assessment finding indicates that the patient is experiencing a pneumothorax?
 
  1. hyperresonance to percussion at the apex of the left lung
  2. dullness to percussion at the base of the left lung
  3. crackles throughout the left lung
  4. shallow breathing

Question 2

A patient who is diagnosed with primary atypical pneumonia tells the nurse that he doesn't feel too sick. What would be the nurse's best response?
 
  1. Give it a few days and you will.
  2. You're lucky.
  3. You must be recovering from the illness.
  4. This type of pneumonia is usually mild in its effects.

[zenzy]

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 1
In pneumothorax, the percussion tone is hyperresonant due to the trapped air in the pleural space. Dullness to percussion is suggestive of fluid accumulation, such as in hemothorax. Crackles in the left lung suggest fluid accumulation in the alveoli. Shallow breathing can occur but is not specific to pneumothorax. It would also be seen in rib fractures and flail chest.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 4
Pneumonia that is caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae is generally classified as primary atypical pneumonia, because its presentation and course significantly differ from other bacterial pneumonias. Young adults are the primary affected population. Primary atypical pneumonia is highly contagious with manifestations similar to those of viral pneumonia; systemic manifestations of fever, headache, myalgias, and arthralgias often predominate. Because of the typically mild nature and predominant systemic manifestations, mycoplasmal and viral pneumonia are often referred to as walking pneumonias. Predicting that the patient should expect to feel bad soon or is lucky are not appropriate responses. Since the illness is typically mild, the patient may not feel very sick while in the acute phase, not just during recovery.