Question

A nurse is assessing a client who reports vision impairment and is diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A: Progressive loss of peripheral vision
B: Opacity of the lens of the client's eye
C: Impaired central vision
D: Report of seeing floating dark spots

Answer 1

The nurse should expect a progressive loss of peripheral vision in a client diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma, as this is the hallmark symptom of the condition.

Step-by-step explanation:

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a progressive condition that characteristically leads to a loss of peripheral vision. This type of visual impairment involves a gradual decrease in the patient's ability to see objects in their peripheral field, often described as "tunnel vision." The nurse assessing a client with POAG should expect to find a progressive loss of peripheral vision (A), which is a hallmark symptom of this condition. It is not typically associated with lens opacity (B), which is more suggestive of cataracts, nor with a primary impairment of central vision (C), which more typically suggests macular degeneration. Additionally, POAG does not commonly cause the perception of floating dark spots (D), which is often associated with retinal detachment or the presence of floaters.