A nurse is obtaining a client's vital signs. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the charge nurse?

A chest x-ray is an essential diagnostic tool for evaluating a client with symptoms such as a productive cough, blood-tinged sputum, weight loss, night sweats, and a low-grade fever. These findings raise suspicion for tuberculosis (TB), particularly given the client’s recent travel to South Africa, where TB is more prevalent. A chest x-ray can help identify characteristic abnormalities such as upper lobe infiltrates, cavitations, or pleural effusions that are consistent with pulmonary TB.

A nasopharyngeal swab is primarily used to detect viral respiratory infections, such as influenza or COVID-19. While the client presents with a cough and fever, the chronic nature of symptoms and presence of hemoptysis make a viral infection less likely. Furthermore, viral infections typically present with acute onset symptoms rather than a prolonged illness with weight loss and night sweats.

Blood cultures are used to identify systemic bacterial infections, such as bacteremia or sepsis. Although the client has a fever, there are no indications of severe systemic infection, such as hypotension or signs of shock, making blood cultures a lower priority in this case.

A pulmonary function test evaluates lung function in conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The client has no history of these conditions, and their primary complaint involves symptoms suggestive of an infectious process rather than an obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary function testing is not indicated for diagnosing TB or other respiratory infections.

A Mantoux test (tuberculin skin test) is a key diagnostic tool in assessing tuberculosis exposure. Given the client’s symptoms and travel history, this test helps determine prior exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the likelihood of latent or active infection. A positive test would support further diagnostic testing, such as sputum cultures, to confirm active TB disease.

A. Remove the tape by pulling from the center of the dressing. Tape should be removed by pulling toward the wound rather than from the center to avoid skin trauma and unnecessary disruption to the healing tissue. Pulling from the center can increase discomfort and damage surrounding skin.
B. Clean the wound from the center to the outer edges. Cleaning from the center outward prevents the introduction of microorganisms from the surrounding skin into the wound, reducing the risk of further infection. This technique follows the principle of working from the cleanest area to the least clean.
C. Moisten the dressing before removal. A wet-to-dry dressing is meant to adhere to necrotic tissue and debris, which is then removed when the dry dressing is taken off. Moistening it before removal defeats this purpose by softening the dressing, reducing its effectiveness in debriding the wound.
D. Wear sterile gloves to remove the dressing. Clean gloves are appropriate for removing a contaminated dressing. Sterile gloves are necessary for applying the new dressing to maintain an aseptic environment. Using sterile gloves for removal is unnecessary and does not improve infection control.