What causes the edema that occurs during the inflammatory process?

Choice A reason: Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, but inspiratory stridor, cough, and tachypnea suggest acute airway obstruction, like croup or bronchospasm. Antibiotics are not immediate for these symptoms, as they address infection, not airway narrowing, making this a lower-priority treatment.

Choice B reason: Sputum culture identifies pathogens but is not urgent for inspiratory stridor, which indicates airway compromise needing immediate relief. Cultures guide long-term therapy, not acute management, making this an incorrect priority for the patient’s presentation.

Choice C reason: Inhaled bronchodilators, like albuterol, are the priority for inspiratory stridor, nonproductive cough, and tachypnea, as they relax airway smooth muscles, relieving bronchospasm or narrowing. This addresses acute airway obstruction, common in conditions like asthma or croup, making it the correct treatment.

Choice D reason: History of illness exposure informs diagnosis but delays treatment for acute airway symptoms. Inspiratory stridor requires immediate intervention to ensure airway patency, making history-taking secondary to addressing the urgent respiratory distress, thus an incorrect priority.

Choice A reason: Insufficient mast cell numbers are not a primary cause of impaired healing in older adults. Mast cells contribute to inflammation, but chronic diseases like diabetes disrupt multiple healing pathways more significantly, making this incorrect.

Choice B reason: Circulatory impairment, such as atherosclerosis, can delay healing by limiting oxygen and nutrient delivery. However, it’s often a consequence of chronic illnesses like diabetes, which broadly affect healing, making this less primary than chronic conditions.

Choice C reason: Underlying chronic illnesses, like diabetes or cardiovascular disease, impair inflammation and wound healing in older adults by disrupting immune function, collagen deposition, and perfusion. These prevalent conditions directly impact healing, making this the correct cause.

Choice D reason: Complement and chemotaxis deficiencies occur in specific immunodeficiencies, not commonly in aging. Chronic illnesses like diabetes more consistently impair healing through systemic effects, making this a less likely primary cause.