Exhibits The nurse reviews the client's history and physical, the nurses notes, and the flow sheet to determine the cause of the client's symptoms. For each assessment finding, click to indicate whether findings from this client's assessment are generally associated with mastitis, endometritis, or could be a sign of both conditions. Each row must have only one response option selected.

Temperature of 101.2°F (38.4°C):Fever over 100.4°F can occur with either breast or uterine infection as a systemic inflammatory response. Mastitis often produces moderate fever due to bacterial entry through cracked nipples, while endometritis involves uterine lining infection releasing endotoxins that raise temperature. Feeling chilled, achy, and fatigued: General malaise and myalgia reflect systemic infection and inflammatory cytokine release. In mastitis, bacterial invasion causes flu-like symptoms, while in endometritis, uterine bacterial toxins similarly trigger body-wide aches and chills. Pulse of 105 beats/minute: Tachycardia accompanies fever and infection as the body compensates for increased metabolic demand. Both infections can lead to elevated heart rate due to systemic inflammatory response and mild dehydration from fever. Foul-smelling lochia rubra at 2 weeks postpartum: Malodorous discharge beyond 2 weeks postpartum signals infection of the uterine lining. The odor results from necrotic tissue breakdown and bacterial proliferation—typically E. coli or anaerobes—localized to the endometrium. Baby fed pumped breast milk: Pumping and prolonged separation from the infant can lead to milk stasis and duct obstruction, predisposing to mastitis. Inefficient emptying increases bacterial growth within the stagnant milk ducts, triggering inflammation. Pain rating of 4 on a 0–10 scale: Pain is a generalized symptom. While mastitis causes severe localized breast pain, and endometritis causes pelvic/abdominal pain, the overall pain rating of 4 is non-specific and could be attributed to discomfort from either localized inflammation or systemic infection.