Question

A patient comes to the clinic with symptomatic complaints that are concruent with the diagnosis of pertussis. The nurse practitioner orders a CXR. What does the nurse practitioner expect to see?

a. Lower lobar consolidation
b. Infiltrates
c. Normal result
d. Narrowing of bronchial pathway

Answer 1

A nurse practitioner expects to see a normal result on a CXR for a patient with pertussis. Pertussis typically does not cause abnormal changes on a chest X-ray unless there are complications like pneumonia, which would show radiographically as lung infiltrates or consolidations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse practitioner orders a CXR (chest X-ray) for a patient with symptoms of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, they would typically expect to see a normal result on the imaging.

Pertussis is a bacterial infection that affects the respiratory tract and does not usually result in notable changes on a chest X-ray. However, if the patient has developed complications such as pneumonia, the radiograph may show signs such as lung infiltrates or consolidations. It is also possible to see a radiograph typical of pneumonia, with shadows in the lung due to pockets filled with fluid, as noted in some clinical focus scenarios. However, these findings would be due to secondary complications rather than pertussis itself.

In the case of uncomplicated pertussis, the lungs are generally clear on a CXR, which helps to distinguish it from other respiratory conditions that present with similar symptoms but manifest radiographically, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. Additional testing, such as a lab culture or PCR test, would be required for definitive diagnosis of pertussis.