Final answer:
Assessment findings for acute respiratory failure include shortness of breath, abnormal lung sounds, cough, chest radiograph abnormalities, hypoxemia, and the presence of a gram-negative rod in sputum cultures. These findings guide further diagnostic testing such as sputum sample evaluation and RIDTs for influenza.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing a patient for acute respiratory failure, healthcare providers look for various clinical signs and symptoms. Common assessment findings include:
- Shortness of breath or dyspnea
- Abnormal breathing sounds, such as wheezes, stridor, or crackles (crepitations)
- Cough, which may be productive or nonproductive
- Chest radiograph abnormalities, such as consolidation, cavities, or opacities, suggestive of conditions like pneumonia
- Hypoxemia, or low levels of oxygen in the blood, often detected using pulse oximetry
- Presence of a gram-negative rod in sputum cultures indicating bacterial infection
- Physical examination findings such as increased heart rate, hoarseness, and pain with swallowing
Additional tests may include sputum sample evaluation and the rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) for influenza type A and B to rule out viral infection as an underlying cause.