The nurse is caring for a client. For each assessment finding, click to specify if the assessment finding is consistent with pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, or pneumothorax. Each finding may support more than 1 disease process or none at all. There must be at least 1 selection in every column. There does not need to be a selection in every row.

Rationale Heart sounds (Pulmonary Embolism): S3 and S4 heart sounds with sudden dyspnea and chest pain suggest acute right heart strain, which is consistent with pulmonary embolism (PE). PE can cause acute pulmonary hypertension and cardiac strain. Respiratory pattern (PE, pneumonia, pneumothorax): PE: sudden tachypnea and dyspnea due to impaired perfusion Pneumonia: tachypnea from infection and hypoxia Pneumothorax: sudden respiratory distress and tachypnea due to lung collapse Lung sounds (PE and pneumonia): PE: may cause crackles or be normal but can have abnormal breath sounds due to infarction Pneumonia: crackles are classic due to fluid/inflammation in alveoli Pneumothorax: typically absent breath sounds (not crackles), so not selected Temperature (Pneumonia): Fever (38.9°C) strongly supports infectious process such as pneumonia. PE and pneumothorax typically do not cause significant fever unless complications occur later.