A nurse in an urgent care clinic is collecting admission history from a client who is at 16 weeks of gestation and has bacterial vaginosis. The nurse should recognize that which of the following clinical findings are associated with this infection?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Profuse milky white discharge: Bacterial vaginosis typically presents with a thin, grayish-white or milky vaginal discharge that may have a fishy odor. This characteristic discharge is the hallmark clinical finding and helps distinguish BV from other vaginal infections, making it the key symptom for recognition. B. Frequency and dysuria: These symptoms are more characteristic of urinary tract infections rather than bacterial vaginosis. While BV can cause mild irritation, it usually does not produce significant urinary frequency or pain during urination. C. Low-grade fever: Fever is not a typical feature of bacterial vaginosis. The absence of systemic symptoms, such as fever or malaise, helps differentiate BV from more invasive infections like pelvic inflammatory disease. D. Hematuria: Blood in the urine is unrelated to bacterial vaginosis and is usually associated with urinary tract pathology or trauma. Hematuria is not an expected finding in clients with BV.