Final answer:
Absence of breath sounds is the correct clinical manifestation of pneumothorax to assess for in a client with closed pneumothorax and significant bruising of the left chest after a motor-vehicle crash. The correct answer is options A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The client with a closed pneumothorax following trauma from a motor-vehicle crash may present with several clinical manifestations. Among the options provided, the correct one would be a. absence of breath sounds. When a pneumothorax occurs, air can collect in the pleural space, which can partially or completely collapse the lung. This would create an area where no breath sounds can be heard upon auscultation because air movement is obstructed.
Expiratory wheezing is often associated with airway obstruction in diseases like asthma, inspiratory stridor is usually related to upper airway obstructions, and rhonchi are lower-pitched sounds associated with secretions in the larger airways and potentially seen in conditions such as pneumonia or bronchitis.