During lung auscultation, the nurse hears a continuous low-pitched sound that resembles snoring. What is this sound called?

Choice A reason: Taking retirement checks and limiting access to funds is financial abuse, exploiting the patient’s resources. This violates elder rights, requiring reporting and social service intervention. Accurate identification ensures protection, critical for restoring financial autonomy and preventing further exploitation, enhancing safety and well-being in vulnerable elderly patients.

Choice B reason: Emotional abuse involves psychological harm like humiliation, not directly indicated by taking retirement funds, which is financial abuse. Assuming emotional risks misclassification, delaying financial protection measures, critical for addressing exploitation and ensuring the patient’s economic security, essential for elder abuse prevention and support.

Choice C reason: Neglect involves failure to provide care, like food or medical needs, not specifically taking funds, which is financial abuse. Misidentifying as neglect risks overlooking financial exploitation, delaying interventions like legal guardianship, critical for protecting the patient’s assets and ensuring safety in elder care settings.

Choice D reason: Physical abuse involves bodily harm, not indicated by financial exploitation like taking retirement checks. Assuming physical risks missing financial abuse, delaying reporting or social services, critical for stopping exploitation, restoring financial control, and ensuring the patient’s safety and dignity in elder abuse scenarios.

Choice A reason: White patches on the tongue and mouth with dysphagia indicate oral thrush, a Candida albicans infection, common in hospitalized patients due to immunosuppression or antibiotics. Antifungal treatment is needed to prevent esophageal spread. Accurate diagnosis ensures timely therapy, critical for relieving symptoms and avoiding complications in vulnerable patients.

Choice B reason: Bad breath (halitosis) may accompany oral issues but doesn’t cause white patches or dysphagia, which indicate thrush. Assuming bad breath misdiagnoses the condition, delaying antifungal treatment and risking progression of Candida infection, potentially leading to systemic complications in long-term hospitalized patients with compromised immunity.

Choice C reason: Oral ulcers cause painful sores, not white patches or widespread dysphagia, unlike thrush’s creamy lesions. Misidentifying as ulcers risks inappropriate treatment, delaying antifungals needed for Candida. This error could worsen swallowing difficulties, compromising nutrition and recovery in hospitalized patients with suspected oral infections.

Choice D reason: Assuming nothing ignores white patches and dysphagia, clear signs of oral thrush in hospitalized patients. Neglecting these risks untreated Candida infection, potentially spreading to the esophagus or systemically, especially in immunocompromised patients. Prompt recognition and antifungal therapy are critical to prevent complications and ensure patient comfort.