Author Question: During a morning assessment, the nurse notices that the patient's sputum is frothy and pink. Which ... (Read 104 times)

stock · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

During a morning assessment, the nurse notices that the patient's sputum is frothy and pink. Which condition could this finding indicate?

a. Croup
b. Tuberculosis
c. Viral infection
d. Pulmonary edema

Question 2

A 70-year-old patient is being seen in the clinic for severe exacerbation of his heart failure. Which of these findings is the nurse most likely to observe in this patient?

a. Shortness of breath, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and ankle edema
b. Rasping cough, thick mucoid sputum, wheezing, and bronchitis
c. Productive cough, dyspnea, weight loss, anorexia, and tuberculosis
d. Fever, dry nonproductive cough, and diminished breath sounds

alexisweber49 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Sputum, alone, is not diagnostic, but some conditions have characteristic sputum production. Pink, frothy sputum indicates pulmonary edema or it may be a side effect of sympathomimetic medications. Croup is associated with a barking cough, not sputum production. Tuberculosis may produce rust-colored sputum. Viral infections may produce white or clear mucoid sputum.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
A person with heart failure often exhibits increased respiratory rate, shortness of breath on exertion, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, nocturia, ankle edema, and pallor in light-skinned individuals. A patient with rasping cough, thick mucoid sputum, and wheezing may have bronchitis. Productive cough, dyspnea, weight loss, and dyspnea indicate tuberculosis; fever, dry nonproductive cough, and diminished breath sounds may indicate Pneumocystis jiroveci (P. carinii) pneumonia