Take full exam for free

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.

Free Nursing Test Bank

Take full exam free

View Related questions

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.

A. The patient has asthma. B. The patient has cardiovascular disease. C. The patient has emphysema. D. The patient has chronic hypoxemia.

Take full exam for free

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?

Free Nursing Test Bank

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Quick Links

Resources

Take full exam for free 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?

Free Nursing Test Bank

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

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?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

The nurse auscultates the client's abdomen for 1 minute and does not hear anybowel sounds. What should the nurse do next?

The nurse notes which of the following about the patient's skin during her morning assessment? Select all that apply.

The client tells the nurse that he has noticed that one of his moles has started to burn and bleed. The nurse should pay close attention to danger signs for pigmented lesions, and would be concerned with which additional finding?

The nurse assesses a client and finds that a grating sound is present when a joint is bent and straightened. Which term will the nurse use when documenting this finding in the medical record?

When child, elder, or vulnerable adult abuse or neglect is disclosed, what is the nurse's responsibility?

When assessing the elderly patient, the nurse observes that the anterior to posterior width is the same as the transverse width of the chest. When documenting her findings, she describes this as:

The nurse is caring for a client who has pain due to sickle cell anemia. The patient rates the pain as a 7 out of 10 (O is no pain and 10 is the worst pain possible). The client is moving around easily and smiling. She is asking for pain medication. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse is admitting a client to the acute care unit. Which should the nurse consider when regarding the confidentiality of the client?

Quick Links

Resources

Take full exam for free

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?