Question

During the review of systems in a nursing history, a nurse learns that the patient has been coughing mucus. Which of the following nursing assessments would be best for the nurse to use to confirm a lung problem? (Select all that apply) [16]

1. Family report
2. Chest x-ray film
3. Physical examination with auscultation of the lungs
4. Medical record summary of x-ray film findings

Answer 1

To confirm a lung problem, physical examination with auscultation of the lungs and a chest x-ray should be used. Family reports provide helpful subjective information but are not direct assessments of lung issues. A medical record summary also provides important clinical findings.

Step-by-step explanation:

To confirm lung problems when a patient is coughing mucus, the nurse should consider several assessments, including a physical examination with auscultation of the lungs, reviewing a chest x-ray film, and a medical record summary of x-ray film findings. A physical examination with auscultation can reveal abnormal lung sounds such as crepitations, suggestive of conditions like pneumonia, bronchitis, or other respiratory issues. A radiographic examination or a chest x-ray can visualize structural lung issues, indicating the presence of conditions such as pneumonia, which may present as opacities or a shadow on the lung images.

Family reports can provide valuable subjective data, but they are not assessments that directly confirm lung pathology. Therefore, for objective measurements and a definitive assessment of lung health, the combination of a physical examination with auscultation and a chest x-ray are the best options among the provided choices.