An 84-year-old client has been admitted to the emergency department from an extended care facility. The facility staff suspect pneumonia and it is noted that the client has a productive cough, shortness of breath, and abnormal breath sounds. The nurse assesses the client's vital signs and notes an oral temperature of 97.5°F. How should the nurse interpret this assessment finding?
The client's infection is no longer localized and has become systemic.
The client likely has a cardiac health problem, not a respiratory health problem.
The client's signs and symptoms are related to hypothermia rather than infection.
The client's normothermic temperature does not rule out the presence of an infection.
The Correct Answer is D
A. Systemic infection can cause fever, but older adults often present with atypical signs, including a lack of fever, rather than the classic response.
B. The presence of a productive cough, abnormal breath sounds, and shortness of breath suggests a respiratory infection rather than a cardiac issue.
C. While older adults may be more susceptible to hypothermia, the client’s symptoms align with infection rather than hypothermia.
D. "The client's normothermic temperature does not rule out the presence of an infection" is correct because older adults may have a blunted febrile response to infection due to age-related changes in thermoregulation. An absence of fever does not exclude infection in elderly patients.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Air being diverted from the trachea to the bronchi does not explain the cause of a wheeze. This is a normal part of airflow distribution.
B. Air passing through constricted passageways is correct. A wheeze is a high-pitched, musical sound that occurs when air flows through narrowed or obstructed airways, as seen in conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or bronchitis.
C. Air increasing in turbulence in a wide passage is incorrect. Wheezing occurs due to airway narrowing, not widening.
D. Air leaking from the alveoli into the pleural space describes pneumothorax, which presents with absent breath sounds rather than wheezing.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. A fluid deficit may cause tachycardia and hypotension, but it does not directly cause diminished lung sounds.
B. Adventitious sounds (wheezes, crackles, rhonchi, etc.) are absent in this case. Diminished breath sounds suggest poor airflow, not abnormal sounds.
C. Hyperinflation of the lungs is correct. In conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema, lung expansion is limited, leading to diminished breath sounds in all lung fields due to air trapping. The oxygen saturation of 92% is consistent with chronic lung disease.
D. Pectus carinatum (protrusion of the sternum) is a congenital deformity that does not cause diminished breath sounds.
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