The patient is a 51-year-old male with pneumonia.
The patient has a history of hypertension and takes enalapril and a multivitamin daily.
His surgical history includes adenoid removal at age 4 and a surgical repair of a fractured tibia at age 20. Based on the information that the nurse has about the patient, what condition is he likely to have?

Choice A rationale:

Hypothermia is a condition in which the body's core temperature falls below 95°F (35°C). It is not directly indicated by the client's vital signs as presented in the question.

Other factors that would more strongly suggest hypothermia include exposure to cold environments, immersion in cold water, or impaired thermoregulation due to conditions like hypothyroidism or alcohol intoxication.

Choice C rationale:

Hypotension is a condition in which blood pressure is abnormally low. It is also not directly indicated by the client's vital signs as presented in the question.

Hypertension, on the other hand, is a condition in which blood pressure is abnormally high.

The client's history of hypertension, and the fact that he takes enalapril (an antihypertensive medication), suggests that he may be more likely to experience hypertension than hypotension.

Choice D rationale:

Hypertension, as mentioned above, is a condition in which blood pressure is abnormally high.

While it's possible that the client is experiencing hypertension, the question specifically asks about the condition indicated by the client's vital signs.

Tachypnea, or rapid breathing, is a more direct indication of the client's respiratory distress, which is a common symptom of pneumonia.

Choice B rationale:

Tachypnea is the most likely condition indicated by the client's vital signs.

Tachypnea is often a sign of respiratory distress, which can be caused by a variety of conditions, including pneumonia. When a person has pneumonia, their lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid, making it difficult to breathe.

This can lead to rapid, shallow breathing, which is called tachypnea.

Other signs of respiratory distress that may be present in a client with pneumonia include: Coughing

Wheezing Chest pain

Feeling short of breath

Use of accessory muscles to breathe (e.g., muscles in the neck and chest) Nasal flaring

Cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin)

Choice A rationale:

Incorrect. Open-angle glaucoma is not characterized by an abnormally small angle.

The angle in open-angle glaucoma is open, but the drainage system is not working properly. Therefore, restoring a smaller angle would not be an effective treatment goal.

Choice B rationale:

Incorrect. Eye drops used to treat open-angle glaucoma are not typically used for pain control.

While some individuals may experience mild discomfort associated with elevated eye pressure, pain is not a common symptom of open-angle glaucoma.

Additionally, eye drops used to treat glaucoma do not have anti-inflammatory properties to address swelling.

Choice C rationale:

Incorrect. While reducing excess eye pressure is an important initial goal of treatment, long-term management of open-angle glaucoma requires ongoing maintenance of normal eye pressure.

Simply reducing pressure temporarily is not sufficient to prevent vision loss.

Choice D rationale:

Correct. The primary goal of treatment for open-angle glaucoma is to maintain normal eye pressure over the long term. This is because elevated eye pressure can damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss.

Eye drops are often used to lower eye pressure, and they typically need to be used for life to prevent vision loss.