A client is suspected to have a thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). What does the nurse assess for?

A. Hoarseness and difficulty swallowing: A thoracic aortic aneurysm can compress adjacent structures such as the recurrent laryngeal nerve and esophagus. Compression of the nerve can cause hoarseness, while pressure on the esophagus can result in dysphagia. These are classic symptoms associated with TAA rather than abdominal aneurysms. B. Bruit and thrill in upper abdomen: A bruit or thrill in the abdomen is more characteristic of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), not a thoracic aortic aneurysm. TAAs are usually located in the chest and may not produce abdominal auscultatory findings. C. Disruption of bowel patterns: Bowel pattern changes are generally unrelated to thoracic aortic aneurysms. They may occur in abdominal pathology or mesenteric ischemia but are not typical manifestations of a TAA. D. Abdominal, flank, or back pain: While abdominal or back pain is a hallmark of AAA, a TAA more commonly produces chest pain, back pain localized to the thoracic region, or symptoms from compression of mediastinal structures. Abdominal pain is not a primary finding in TAA.