The nurse is taking the health history of a patient being treated for Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. After being told the patient has been smoking cigarettes

The nurse is taking the health history of a patient being treated for Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. After being told the patient has been smoking cigarettes for 30 years, the nurse expects to note which assessment finding?

1. Increase in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
2. A narrowed chest cavity
3. Clubbed fingers
4. An increased risk of cardiac failure

Ans: 3. Clubbed fingers – CORRECT
Clubbed fingers are a sign of a long-term, or chronic, decrease in oxygen levels.

The nurse is taking the health history of a 70-year-old patient being treated for a Duodenal Ulcer. After being told the patient is complaining of epigastric pain, the nurse expects to note which assessment finding?

1. Melena
2. Nausea
3. Hernia
4. Hyperthermia

1. Melena – CORRECT
Melena is the finding that there are traces of blood in the stool which presents as black, tarry feces. This is a common manifestation of Duodenal Ulcers, since the Duodenum is further down the gastric anatomy.