The nurse is palpating a client's anterior chest wall and notices a course, crackling sensation over the skin surface. Which of the following should the nurse suspect from her findings?

A. The third heart sound (S3):

The third heart sound (S3) is an abnormal heart sound that occurs during early diastole, immediately after S2 (the second heart sound). It is caused by the rapid filling of the ventricles and is often associated with conditions like heart failure. In heart failure, the ventricles become stiff, causing vibrations that produce the S3 sound.

B. A friction rub:

A friction rub is a high-pitched, scratchy sound heard during both systole and diastole. It is caused by the rubbing together of inflamed pericardial layers (pericarditis) and is usually heard best at the left lower sternal border. Friction rubs can indicate pericardial inflammation and are often heard in conditions such as pericarditis or after a myocardial infarction.

C. The fourth heart sound (S4):

The fourth heart sound (S4) occurs late in diastole, just before S1, and is caused by atrial contraction. It is associated with increased resistance to ventricular filling, often due to conditions like hypertension or aortic stenosis. The S4 sound is heard as a low-pitched "atrial gallop."

D. A split second heart sound S2:

The second heart sound (S2) represents the closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves. Normally, S2 has two components: A2 (aortic valve closure) and P2 (pulmonic valve closure). A split S2 occurs when A2 and P2 do not close simultaneously. A physiological split S2 is common during inspiration and occurs due to delayed closure of the pulmonic valve. An abnormal or fixed split S2 can indicate underlying heart conditions such as atrial septal defect (ASD) or right bundle branch block (RBBB).

A. The pupils constrict when the examiner's index finger slowly moves toward the client's nose.

This statement is correct. Visual accommodation is the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus on objects at varying distances. When an object moves closer to the eyes, the pupils constrict to adjust and focus on the near object, preventing double vision.

B. The client involuntarily blinks in the presence of bright light directed over the pupils during the eye exam.

This statement describes the pupillary light reflex, not visual accommodation. The pupillary light reflex is the response of the pupils to light exposure.

C. The client's peripheral vision becomes sharper when the examiner shines a light over the pupils.

This statement is not accurate. Peripheral vision sharpness is not related to visual accommodation. Visual accommodation mainly involves adjusting focus for objects at varying distances.

D. The pupils dilate when the examiner's index finger slowly moves toward the client's nose.

This statement is incorrect. Pupils should constrict, not dilate, when focusing on a near object (as in visual accommodation). Dilation occurs in low-light conditions or in response to sympathetic stimulation.