Question

A nurse is performing an admission assessment on a client with tuberculosis (TB) and is collecting subjective and objective data. Which finding would the nurse expect to note?

a) High fever
b) Flushed skin
c) Complaints of weight gain
d) Complaints of night sweats

Answer 1

Complaints of night sweats would be an expected finding in a client being assessed for tuberculosis, as it is a common symptom of the disease, especially when accompanied by persistent cough, fever, and weight loss.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing an admission assessment on a client with suspected tuberculosis (TB), a nurse would indeed expect to note complaints of night sweats as one of the clinical findings. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. One of the hallmark symptoms of active TB is night sweats, which may be accompanied by other symptoms such as persistent cough, fever, weight loss, and fatigue.

For instance, Marsha, a young adult who recently returned from Nigeria, a country with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, presented with prolonged fatigue, night sweats, and low-grade fever, which prompted her healthcare provider to consider tuberculosis as a possible diagnosis. The presence of such symptoms, especially following travel to or work in high-risk areas, significantly raises the suspicion for TB and necessitates further investigation, including sputum analysis and chest radiography.