The nurse is reviewing the patient's medical records which include history and physical, nurses' notes, imaging studies, and orders.

Exhibits

The nurse is asked to mark whether the assessment findings indicate that the treatment was effective or ineffective.

Which of the following options best describes the effectiveness of the treatment?

Choice A rationale:

Hemoccult test on sputum collected from hemoptysis is not a diagnostic test for TB. It is a test for blood in the stool, which can be a symptom of TB but is not specific to TB.

Hemoptysis, or coughing up blood, can occur in various conditions, including bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and TB. The Hemoccult test cannot differentiate between these causes, making it an unreliable test for diagnosing TB.

Choice B rationale:

Sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the definitive diagnostic test for TB.

It involves collecting a sample of sputum, which is the mucus coughed up from the lungs, and culturing it in a laboratory to see if Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB, grows.

This test is highly specific for TB, meaning that a positive result is almost always indicative of TB infection. It is also sensitive, meaning that it can detect TB infection even when there are few bacteria present.

Choice C rationale:

Positive purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test indicates exposure to TB but does not confirm active infection.

The PPD skin test involves injecting a small amount of tuberculin, a protein derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, into the skin.

If a person has been exposed to TB, their immune system will react to the tuberculin, causing a raised red bump to appear at the injection site.

However, a positive PPD skin test does not necessarily mean that a person has active TB infection.

It could also mean that they have been exposed to TB in the past but have successfully fought off the infection. Further testing, such as a sputum culture, is needed to confirm the diagnosis of TB.

Choice D rationale:

Chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) can show abnormalities in the lungs that are suggestive of TB, but they cannot definitively diagnose TB.

These imaging tests can reveal changes in the lungs, such as nodules, inflammation, or fluid buildup, which can be caused by TB or other conditions.

Therefore, a chest X-ray or CT scan alone is not sufficient to diagnose TB. A sputum culture is still needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Choice A rationale:

Diminished breath sounds in the right lung: This finding suggests that there is still some inflammation or fluid in the right lung, which is not consistent with fully effective treatment. Normal breath sounds should be clear and equal bilaterally.

PaCO2 55 mm Hg on a blood gas: This finding is slightly elevated, indicating that the patient may be having some difficulty clearing carbon dioxide from the lungs. A normal PaCO2 is 35-45 mm Hg.

Rhonchi in the right lung: Rhonchi are a type of abnormal breath sound that is caused by secretions in the airways. This finding suggests that there is still some inflammation or infection in the right lung.

Choice B rationale:

Oxygen saturation greater than 94%: This finding is within the normal range and indicates that the patient is getting enough oxygen.

Client ambulates without shortness of breath: This finding is a positive sign that the patient's respiratory status is improving. Symmetric chest expansion: This finding indicates that both lungs are expanding equally, which is a good sign.

Choice C rationale:

The assessment findings are mixed, with some findings suggesting improvement (oxygen saturation, ambulation without shortness of breath, symmetric chest expansion) and some findings suggesting that the infection is not fully resolved (diminished breath sounds, elevated PaCO2, rhonchi). This suggests that the treatment has been partially effective, but that the patient may need further treatment to fully resolve the pneumonia.

Choice D rationale:

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment over time, but the assessment findings in this case are clear enough to determine that the treatment has been partially effective.