The nurse is performing an integumentary system assessment of a patient who has smoked for the last 40 years. The patient has clubbing of the fingernails. What does this finding indicate to the nurse?

The patient has asthma.

The patient has cardiovascular disease.

The patient has emphysema.

The patient has chronic hypoxemia.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

A) The patient has asthma: While asthma can lead to respiratory symptoms and issues, it is not typically associated with clubbing of the fingernails. Asthma primarily affects airway constriction and inflammation, rather than causing the long-term changes in nail morphology seen with clubbing.

B) The patient has cardiovascular disease: Although some cardiovascular conditions can lead to clubbing, it is more commonly associated with chronic lung diseases. Cardiovascular disease might cause other signs or symptoms, but clubbing alone is not a definitive indicator of this condition.

C) The patient has emphysema: Emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is characterized by the destruction of lung tissue and impaired airflow. While it can contribute to hypoxemia, clubbing is not a common finding specifically associated with emphysema.
D) The patient has chronic hypoxemia: Clubbing of the fingernails is a classic sign of chronic hypoxemia, often resulting from long-term respiratory conditions like COPD, interstitial lung disease, or lung cancer. It indicates a prolonged lack of oxygen in the blood, leading to changes in the nail bed and digit shape. Given the patient's long smoking history, chronic hypoxemia is the most likely explanation for this finding.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A) Changes in peripheral vision in response to light: While peripheral vision is important in a comprehensive eye assessment, it is not specifically evaluated through the PERRLA acronym. PERRLA focuses on how the pupils respond to light and accommodation, not on peripheral vision changes.

B) Involuntary blinking in the presence of bright light: Involuntary blinking is part of a reflex action known as the blink reflex, which helps protect the eyes from bright lights and foreign objects. However, this response is not what the "A" in PERRLA refers to, which is more specifically about pupillary reactions to focus.

C) Pupillary dilation when looking at a near object: When focusing on a near object, the pupils actually constrict rather than dilate. This process, known as accommodation, is important for clear vision at close distances but does not pertain to the dilation of pupils.

D) Pupillary constriction when looking at a near object: The "A" in PERRLA stands for accommodation, which specifically refers to the pupils constricting when a person looks at a nearby object. This reaction helps the eyes focus properly and is a normal finding in a healthy neurological assessment. Thus, option D accurately describes the "A" in the PERRLA assessment.

A. Left extremity cool to touch, normal pitting edema, with femoral, posterior tibial, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2. B. Left lower extremity cool to touch, +2 pitting edema, with femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2. C. Left lower leg cool to touch, +4 edema with femoral, posterial tibial, dorsalis and pedis pulses normal. D. Left lower leg normal cool temperature, slight swelling, femoral, posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis pulses normal.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A) Left extremity cool to touch, normal pitting edema, with femoral, posterior tibial, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2: While this option describes the left extremity and includes some relevant details, it inaccurately uses "normal pitting edema" without specifying the degree of edema clearly. Additionally, it lists the posterior tibial pulse instead of the popliteal, which is more appropriate given the anatomical location.

B) Left lower extremity cool to touch, +2 pitting edema, with femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2: This documentation accurately describes the left lower extremity, specifies the degree of edema as "+2," and correctly identifies the relevant pulses as femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis. This terminology is clear and concise, providing a comprehensive assessment of the vascular status.

C) Left lower leg cool to touch, +4 edema with femoral, posterial tibial, dorsalis and pedis pulses normal: This option incorrectly reports the degree of edema as "+4," which indicates severe swelling, not matching the original assessment of "mild edema." It also incorrectly lists the posterior tibial pulse, which should be popliteal.

D) Left lower leg normal cool temperature, slight swelling, femoral, posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis pulses normal: The term "normal cool temperature" is confusing and not standard terminology. Additionally, "slight swelling" lacks specificity regarding the degree of edema, which is important for a clinical assessment. Furthermore, it inaccurately refers to the posterior tibial pulse instead of the popliteal.

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The nurse is performing an integumentary system assessment of a patient who has smoked for the last 40 years. The patient has clubbing of the fingernails. What does this finding indicate to the nurse?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

The nurse documents that the client's pupillary reaction is PERRLA. What is the "A" in this assessment describing about the client's eyes?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A student nurse documents the following: Lower left leg cool, mild edema, with dorsalis pedis, posterior knee and femoral pulse normal. How should this documentation be charted to communicate the assessment using appropriate medical terminology?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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