Question

A client is treated in the emergency department with reports of dyspnea, cough, and sharp pain that increases with exertion. The nurse auscultates diminished breath sounds, and the health care provider prescribes a chest x-ray. What does the nurse suspect this will indicate?

Answer 1

The nurse suspects that the chest x-ray will indicate pneumonia. Symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, and sharp pain that increases with exertion, along with physical findings of diminished breath sounds, can suggest pneumonia. The chest x-ray may reveal a shadow in the affected lung.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse suspects that the chest x-ray will indicate pneumonia. Pneumonia is a condition in which the lungs fill with mucus, leading to symptoms such as dyspnea (difficulty breathing), cough, sharp pain that increases with exertion, and diminished breath sounds. The presence of crackling sounds, greenish mucus, and a shadow in the lung seen on the x-ray are all suggestive of pneumonia.