(PrepU) Chapter 19: Assessing Thorax and Lungs

A 21-year-old college senior presents to the clinic reporting shortness of breath and a nonproductive nocturnal cough. She states she used to feel this way only with extreme exercise, but lately she has felt this way continuously. She denies any other upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary symptoms and says she has no chest pain. Her past medical history is significant only for seasonal allergies, for which she takes a nasal steroid spray; she takes no other medications. She has had no surgeries. Her mother has allergies and eczema; her father has high blood pressure. She is an only child. She denies smoking and illegal drug use but drinks three to four alcoholic beverages per weekend. She is a junior in finance at a local university and has recently started a job as a bartender in town. On examination she is in no acute distress. Temperature is 98.6, blood pressure is 120/80, pulse is 80, and respirations are 20. Head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are essentially normal. Inspection of her anterior and posterior chest shows no abnormalities. On auscultation of her chest, there is decreased air movement and a high-pitched whistling on expiration in all lobes. Percussion reveals resonant lungs. Which disorder of the thorax or lung does this presentation best describe?

Asthma Asthma causes shortness of breath and a nocturnal cough. It is often associated with a history of allergies and can be exacerbated by exercise or irritants such as smoke in a bar. On auscultation there can be normal to decreased air movement. Wheezing is heard on expiration and sometimes inspiration. The duration of wheezing in expiration usually correlates with the severity of illness, so it is important to document this length (e.g., wheezes heard halfway through exhalation). In severe asthma, wheezes may not be heard because of the lack of air movement. Paradoxically, these clients may have more wheezes after treatment, which actually indicates an improvement in condition. Peak flow measurements help to discern this.

Upon inspection of a client's chest, a nurse observes an increase in the ratio of anteroposterior to transverse diameter. The nurse recognizes this as a finding in which disease process?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) An increase in the ratio of anteroposterior to transverse diameter is seen in clients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This occurs because of air trapped in the airways that causes hyperinflation and overdistention. Carcinoma of the lungs, pneumothorax, and tuberculosis do not change the chest diameter.

A 62-year-old construction worker presents to the clinic reporting almost a chronic cough and occasional shortness of breath that have lasted for almost 1 year. Although symptoms have occasionally worsened with a cold, they have stayed about the same. The cough has occasional mucus drainage but never any blood. He denies any chest pain. He has had no weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. His past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and arthritis. He has smoked two packs a day for the past 45 years. He drinks occasionally but denies any illegal drug use. He is married with two children. He denies any foreign travel. His father died of a heart attack and his mother died of Alzheimer's disease. Examination reveals a man looking slightly older than his stated age. His blood pressure is 130/80 and his pulse is 88. He is breathing comfortably with respirations of 12. His head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are unremarkable. His cardiac examination is normal. On examination of his chest, the diameter seems enlarged. Breath sounds are decreased throughout all lobes. Rhonchi are heard over all lung fields. There is no area of dullness and no increased or decreased fremitus. What thorax or lung disorder is most likely causing his symptoms?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This disorder is insidious in onset and generally affects the older population with a smoking history. The diameter of the chest is often enlarged like a barrel. Percussing the chest elicits hyperresonance; during auscultation there is often distant breath sounds. Coarse breath sounds of rhonchi are also often heard. It is important to quantify this client's exercise capacity because it may affect his employment and also allows examiners to follow the progression of his disease. Clinicians must offer smoking cessation as an option.

When auscultating a client's lungs, the nurse hears a sound like Velcro being pulled apart over the client's right middle lobe. How should the nurse document this finding?

Coarse crackles Coarse crackles are low-pitched bubbling moist sounds that are described as separating Velcro. Fine crackles are high-pitched, short, popping sounds heard during inspiration and not cleared with coughing. Sibilant wheezes are high-pitched musical sounds. Sonorous wheezes are low-pitched snoring or moaning sounds.

Which of the following muscles is primarily responsible for thoracic cavity enlargement?

Diaphragm The diaphragm is the primary muscle of inspiration; when it contracts, its descent enlarges the thoracic cavity.

A client with lobar pneumonia would have muffled and indistinct spoken voice sounds.

False

What would the nurse expect to hear when auscultating the lungs of a client diagnosed with pleuritis?

Friction rub In pleuritis, inflamed pleural surfaces lose their normal lubrication and rub together during breathing. Reduced volume of pleural fluid increases the transmission of lung sounds and leads to a possible friction rub. Decreased breath sounds may indicate an obstruction due to little air moving in and out. Sibilant wheezes are often heard with bronchitis; stridor occurs with severe broncholaryngo spasms, such as croup. Stridor is associated with a loud, high-pitched crowing that is characteristic of epiglottis or other conditions that partially obstruct the upper airway.

What should be the nurse's initial intervention when adventitious sounds are heard during auscultation of a client's lungs?

Have the client cough and then listen again. If abnormalities are noted during lung auscultation, the nurse should have the client cough and then listen again, noting any change. Coughing may clear the lungs. If the sounds are still present after coughing, then the nurse would refer the client for further evaluation. Auscultating voice sounds (egophony and bronchophony) would be done as part of any assessment of the thorax.

The nurse auscultates the base of the lungs to assess for what reason?

It is where fluid occurs with pulmonary edema. Auscultation of the bases is important because it is where fluid occurs with pulmonary edema and the location for fluid accumulation with a pleural effusion. It does not indicate infection or health of the lungs.

Auscultation of a 23-year-old client's lungs reveals an audible wheeze. What pathological phenomenon underlies wheezing?

Narrowing or partial obstruction of an airway passage The auditory characteristics of wheezing result from narrowing of the lumen of a respiratory passage. Fluid in the alveoli results in crackles, and complete obstruction causes an absence of breath sounds. Decreased lung compliance compromises ventilation but does not necessarily result in wheezes.

When auscultating the lungs, the nurse listens over symmetrical lung fields for which of the following?

One deep inspiration and expiration through the open mouth Lung auscultation is performed for one full breath over symmetrical lung fields. The client should be encouraged to breathe deeply through an open mouth.

A client who just underwent hip replacement surgery reports pain at a 10 on a scale of 0 to 10 and receives 4 mg of morphine. A nurse on the orthopedic unit enters the client's room and finds that the client has a respiratory rate of 7 breaths/min. The client is groggy and hard to arouse. What could be contributing to the client's findings?

Opiates, which may cause hypoventilation Opiates may reduce the ability of the brain to trigger breathing, causing hypoventilation (slow breathing). This scenario does not describe a reaction to anesthesia, and it is not a normal finding following surgery.

During a comprehensive physical assessment at a home visit, a client reports chest discomfort. What is the first action of the nurse?

Perform a focused assessment. The nurse should immediately perform a focused assessment on the client to determine the origin of the pain, such as using COLDSPA (characteristic, onset, location, duration, severity, palliative, associated). The nurse should not contact the health care provider until the focused assessment has been completed. The nurse should not continue with the comprehensive assessment but rather perform a focused assessment of the chest pain. There is not enough information for the nurse to call an ambulance.

A client reports sharp and stabbing chest pain that worsens with deep breathing and coughing. A cardiac cause to this pain is ruled out. The description of the pain is consistent with what respiratory condition?

Pleurisy Pleurisy can follow inflammation of the parietal pleura. Patients usually describe such pain as sharp or stabbing, worsening with deep breathing or coughing. Pneumonia does not always cause pain on respiration nor does asthma. Rales are an adventitious breath sound, not a respiratory condition.

A 47-year-old receptionist comes to the office with fever, shortness of breath, and a productive cough with golden sputum. She says she had a cold last week and her symptoms have only worsened despite using over-the-counter cold remedies. She denies any weight gain, weight loss, or cardiac or gastrointestinal symptoms. Her past medical history includes type 2 diabetes for 5 years and high cholesterol level. She takes an oral medication for both diseases. She has had no surgeries. She denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has diabetes and high blood pressure. Her father passed away from colon cancer. Examination reveals a middle-aged woman appearing her stated age. She looks ill and her temperature is elevated at 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Her blood pressure and pulse are unremarkable. Her head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examination are unremarkable except for edema of the nasal turbinates. On auscultation she has decreased air movement and coarse crackles are heard over the left lower lobe. There is dullness on percussion, increased fremitus during palpation, and egophony and whispered pectoriloquy on auscultation. What disorder of the thorax or lung best describes her symptoms?

Pneumonia Pneumonia is usually associated with dyspnea, cough, and fever. On auscultation there can be coarse or fine crackles heard over the affected lobe. Percussion over the affected area is dull, and there is often an increase in fremitus. Egophony and pectoriloquy are heard because of increased sound transmission of high-pitched components of sounds. The multiple air-filled chambers of the alveoli usually filter out these higher frequencies.

When percussing the anterior chest for tone, a nurse should anticipate what tone over the majority of the lung fields?

Resonance Normal lung tissue elicits a resonance tone when percussed. Hyperresonance is elicited in cases of trapped air such as in emphysema or pneumothorax. Dullness may characterize areas of increased density such as consolidation, pleural effusion, or tumor. Tympany is elicited over air filled spaces such as puffed out check or stomach bubble.

When percussing the posterior lung fields, which of the following findings is expected?

Resonance over all lung fields All lung tissue is expected to be resonant on percussion. Hyperresonance and tympany suggest a hyperinflated lung or pneumothorax. Dullness is expected in structures below the level of the diaphragm, but dullness in the bases of the lungs themselves would be considered pathological.

The spinous process termed the vertebra prominens is in which cervical vertebra?

Seventh The spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7), also called the vertebra prominens, can be easily felt with the client's neck flexed.

The staff educator from the hospital's respiratory unit is providing a public educational event. The educator is talking about health promotion activities for people with respiratory diseases or those who are at high risk for respiratory complications. What would the educator include in the presentation?

Teaching strategies to reduce complications of existing diagnoses Health promotion activities focus on preventing disease from developing (primary prevention), screening to identify conditions at an early curable stage (secondary prevention), and reducing complications of existing or established medical diagnoses (tertiary prevention).

The apex of each lung is located at the

area slightly above the clavicle. The apex of each lung extends slightly above the clavicle.

While assessing an adult client's lungs during the postoperative period, the nurse detects coarse crackles. The nurse should refer the client to a physician for possible

pneumonia Crackles occurring late in inspiration are associated with restrictive diseases such as pneumonia.