Question

A nurse in a clinic is caring for a 16-year-old adolescent. Which of the following conditions should the nurse identify as being consistent with the adolescent's assessment findings? For each finding, click to specify if the assessment findings are consistent with trichomoniasis (a), gonorrhea (b), or candidiasis (c). Each finding may support more than one disease process.

Vaginal itching and white, curd-like discharge.
Yellow-green vaginal discharge with a foul odor.
Genital itching and a cottage cheese-like discharge.

Answer 1

The adolescent's symptoms of vaginal itching and white, curd-like discharge are consistent with candidiasis (c); yellow-green discharge with foul odor suggests trichomoniasis (a); and genital itching with a cottage cheese-like discharge also indicates candidiasis (c).

Step-by-step explanation:

The conditions described by the 16-year-old adolescent could be consistent with different infections causing vaginitis. Vaginal itching and white, curd-like discharge are characteristic symptoms of candidiasis (c), caused by the yeast Candida albicans. Yellow-green vaginal discharge with a foul odor are symptoms often associated with trichomoniasis (a), which is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis. Genital itching and a cottage cheese-like discharge may also suggest candidiasis (c).

Considering the assessment findings:

• Vaginal itching and white, curd-like discharge - Consistent with candidiasis (c).
• Yellow-green vaginal discharge with a foul odor - Consistent with trichomoniasis (a).
• Genital itching and a cottage cheese-like discharge - Consistent with candidiasis (c).

In practice, proper diagnosis would involve microscopic examination or culture of the discharge to confirm the causative agent.