The nurse is gathering data on a client with a diagnosis of tuberculosis. The nurse should review the results of which diagnostic test to confirm this diagnosis?

A. Absence of breath sounds over the affected area is a hallmark sign of a pneumothorax. This occurs because air in the pleural space prevents lung expansion, leading to a lack of air movement and, consequently, no breath sounds. Monitoring for this symptom is critical in identifying a pneumothorax.
B. Coarse crackles are typically associated with fluid in the lungs, such as in cases of pulmonary edema or pneumonia. These sounds are not indicative of a pneumothorax, where air rather than fluid accumulates in the pleural space.
C. Inspiratory stridor is a high-pitched sound often associated with upper airway obstruction, such as in cases of croup or foreign body aspiration. It is not a common manifestation of a pneumothorax, which involves the pleural space rather than the upper airway.
D. Expiratory wheeze is typically associated with conditions that involve narrowing of the airways, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is not a characteristic finding in pneumothorax, where the issue is lung collapse rather than airway constriction.

A. Sputum culture: A sputum culture is the definitive diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). It involves collecting a sample of the patient’s sputum and testing it for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. This test confirms active TB infection and is critical in guiding treatment.

B. Chest x-ray: A chest x-ray can show abnormalities in the lungs that may suggest TB, such as infiltrates or cavities, but it cannot confirm the diagnosis. It is often used as a supporting diagnostic tool alongside other tests.

C. Tuberculin skin test: The tuberculin skin test (TST) is used to identify latent TB infection, not active TB. A positive result indicates that a person has been exposed to TB bacteria, but it does not confirm active disease.

D. Bronchoscopy: Bronchoscopy allows for direct visualization of the airways and collection of samples, but it is not the standard diagnostic test for confirming TB. Sputum culture remains the gold standard for diagnosis.