A nurse is caring for a client who experienced an infection at the insertion site of her intravenous catheter. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A) Exposed bone: Exposed bone is a manifestation of a stage 4 pressure ulcer, where full-thickness skin loss occurs, exposing muscle, tendon, or bone. In stage 3 pressure ulcers, the skin loss extends into the subcutaneous tissue, but it does not reach the level of exposing underlying structures like bone.

B) Blood-filled blisters: Blood-filled blisters can occur in various stages of pressure ulcers, but they are not specific to stage 3. They may be present in stage 1 or stage 2 pressure ulcers as well.

C) Necrotic subcutaneous tissue: This is the correct manifestation of a stage 3 pressure ulcer. Stage 3 pressure ulcers involve full-thickness skin loss with visible necrosis or damage to the subcutaneous tissue. The ulcer may appear as a deep crater with or without undermining of adjacent tissue.

D) Partial-thickness skin loss: Partial-thickness skin loss is characteristic of stage 2 pressure ulcers, where the ulcer extends through the epidermis and into the dermis but does not involve deeper tissue layers like the subcutaneous tissue.

A. Severity
In the PQRST mnemonic for pain assessment, "S" stands for Severity. When the nurse asks the client to rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, they are assessing the severity of the pain. This helps the nurse understand the intensity of the client's pain experience and provides a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of pain management interventions.

B. Precipitating cause
This component relates to factors that exacerbate or alleviate the pain and is represented by the "P" in the PQRST mnemonic. Asking about activities or events that preceded the onset of pain helps identify potential triggers or causes.

C. Region
The "R" in PQRST represents Region, referring to the specific location or area where the client experiences pain. Assessing the region helps localize the source of pain and guide further diagnostic evaluations or interventions.

D. Quality
Quality, represented by the "Q" in PQRST, refers to the characteristics or nature of the pain, such as sharp, dull, throbbing, or burning. Understanding the quality of pain provides additional information about its underlying cause and can aid in selecting appropriate treatment strategies.