Final answer:
When assessing a patient with pneumonia, the nurse should expect to find inspiratory crackles during auscultation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing a patient admitted with pneumonia, the nurse should expect to find inspiratory crackles during auscultation. These crackling sounds are caused by the presence of fluid or mucus in the lung airways and indicate inflammation and infection. Other common clinical manifestations of pneumonia include an elevated heart rate, hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), productive cough with discolored sputum, fever, and shortness of breath.