A nurse is administering an otic medication to an older adult patient.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take to ensure the medication reaches the inner ear?

The client is at risk for Bleeding as evidenced by the Decrease in Platelet count from 350,000/mm² to 100,000/mm².

Rationale for Bleeding: Platelets are a crucial component of the blood that helps in clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. A decrease in platelet count from 350,000/mm² to 100,000/mm² is significant and puts the client at risk for bleeding. This is because when platelet levels fall below the normal range (150,000 to 400,000/mm²), the body’s ability to form clots and stop bleeding is compromised.

Rationale for Anemia: The client’s Hemoglobin level has decreased from 15 g/dL to 12 g/dL, which is at the lower end of the normal range (12 to 16 g/dL). However, it is still within the normal range, so the client is not currently at risk for anemia.

Rationale for Infections: The client’s White Blood Cell (WBC) count has decreased from 8,000/mm² to 6,000/mm², but it is still within the normal range (5,000 to 10,000/mm²). Therefore, the client is not currently at risk for infections.

Rationale for Cardiac arrhythmias: The client’s Potassium level has slightly decreased from 3.7 mEq/L to 3.6 mEq/L, but it is still within the normal range (3.5 to 5 mEq/L). Therefore, the client is not currently at risk for cardiac arrhythmias.

Choice A rationale

Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease that affects the lungs. However, it does not typically cause lung hyperinflation.

Choice B rationale

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. While it can cause symptoms similar to those described, it does not typically cause lung hyperinflation or localized pneumonia in the left upper lobe.

Choice C rationale

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The client’s symptoms of a productive cough with thick yellow sputum, crackles in the left upper lobe, and decreased breath sounds at bases bilaterally are consistent with pneumonia. The chest x-ray showing left upper lobe pneumonia confirms this diagnosis.

Choice D rationale

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell, and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe. While asthma can cause lung hyperinflation, it does not typically cause localized pneumonia in the left upper lobe.