A 35-year-old recent immigrant is being seen in the clinic for ...

[notis]

A 35-year-old recent immigrant is being seen in the clinic for complaints of a cough that is associated with rust-colored sputum, low-grade afternoon fevers, and night sweats for the past 2 months. The nurse's preliminary analysis, based on this history,
 
  is that this patient may be suffering from:
  a.
  Bronchitis.
  b.
  Pneumonia.
  c.
  Tuberculosis.
  d.
  Pulmonary edema.

Question 2

A teenage patient comes to the emergency department with complaints of an inability to breathe and a sharp pain in the left side of his chest. The assessment findings include cyanosis, tachypnea, tracheal deviation to the right, decreased tactile
 
  fremitus on the left, hyperresonance on the left, and decreased breath sounds on the left. The nurse interprets that these assessment findings are consistent with:
  a.
  Bronchitis.
  b.
  Pneumothorax.
  c.
  Acute pneumonia.
  d.
  Asthmatic attack.

[Pamela.irrgang@yahoo.com]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Sputum is not diagnostic alone, but some conditions have characteristic sputum production. Tuberculosis often produces rust-colored sputum in addition to other symptoms of night sweats and low-grade afternoon fevers

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
With a pneumothorax, free air in the pleural space causes partial or complete lung collapse. If the pneumothorax is large, then tachypnea and cyanosis are evident. Unequal chest expansion, decreased or absent tactile fremitus, tracheal deviation to the unaffected side, decreased chest expansion, hyperresonant percussion tones, and decreased or absent breath sounds are found with the presence of pneumothorax.

[notis]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[FergA]

Excellent