Author Question: A patient has been admitted to the emergency department with a possible medical diagnosis of ... (Read 2840 times)

elizabeth18 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A patient has been admitted to the emergency department with a possible medical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. The nurse expects to see which assessment findings related to this condition?

a. Absent or decreased breath sounds
b. Productive cough with thin, frothy sputum
c. Chest pain that is worse on deep inspiration and dyspnea
d. Diffuse infiltrates with areas of dullness upon percussion

Question 2

A patient with pleuritis has been admitted to the hospital and complains of pain with breathing. What other key assessment finding would the nurse expect to find upon auscultation?

a. Stridor
b. Friction rub
c. Crackles
d. Wheezing

fraziera112 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Findings for pulmonary embolism include chest pain that is worse on deep inspiration, dyspnea, apprehension, anxiety, restlessness, partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) less than 80 mm Hg, diaphoresis, hypotension, crackles, and wheezes.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
A patient with pleuritis will exhibit a pleural friction rub upon auscultation. This sound is made when the pleurae become inflamed and rub together during respiration. The sound is superficial, coarse, and low-pitched, as if two pieces of leather are being rubbed together. Stridor is associated with croup, acute epiglottitis in children, and foreign body inhalation. Crackles are associated with pneumonia, heart failure, chronic bronchitis, and other diseases. Wheezes are associated with diffuse airway obstruction caused by acute asthma or chronic emphysema.