Final answer:
The nurse should first address the client's pallor, as it signifies possible acute hypoxemia, which is a serious and immediate concern. Symptoms like finger clubbing or edema, although important, do not represent immediate life-threatening concerns like pallor may.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptom a nurse should intervene for first when assessing a client with lung disease is C) The client is pale. Pallor of the skin can indicate poor oxygenation or anemia, which can be an acute situation requiring immediate attention. With lung disease, oxygenation of the blood is vital, and signs of systemic hypoxemia, like pallor, could indicate a potentially life-threatening situation. The other symptoms such as clubbing of the fingertips (B) and anterior-posterior chest diameter (A) are more chronic in nature and don't represent immediate life threats. Bilateral dependent leg edema (D) may suggest complications such as heart failure or venous insufficiency but is again less immediate than potential respiratory failure indicated by pallor.
Detecting increased resistance in the lungs, which can be indicative of conditions like asthma or COPD, commonly involves the use of a spirometer to measure the rate at which air can be expelled or taken into the lungs. In contrast, a stethoscope may be used to listen for abnormal sounds like crackling or wheezing, and imaging such as a chest radiograph can reveal infiltrates, cavities, or other structural changes in the lungs.