Question

Four clients have signed in at an urgent care center with each reporting a sore throat. Which client does the nurse see first?

1. A school-age client whose sibling was recently treated for "strep throat."
2. A school-age client with a history of chronic allergies.
3. A young adult client with a history of chronic sinus infections.
4. A middle-age client receiving 5-fluorouracil.

Answer 1

The nurse should prioritize the middle-aged client receiving 5-fluorouracil because of their compromised immune system, making a sore throat potentially more dangerous for them than for clients with chronic conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should see the middle-age client receiving 5-fluorouracil first. This medication is commonly used in chemotherapy, which can compromise the immune system, increasing the risk of serious infection or complications from a sore throat. Therefore, this client has the highest triage priority. A sore throat in a client with a compromised immune system could signal an infection that requires immediate attention, such as neutropenic fever, which is a medical emergency.

In contrast, the other clients have past medical histories of chronic issues that are less likely to lead to acute complications. The school-age clients could be suffering from common or viral infections, while the young adult's condition might be related to chronic sinus infections, both of which are lower priority compared to the immunocompromised middle-aged client.