AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy

Which among the following is manifested as severe dyspnea, orthopnea, pallor, tachycardia and frothy blood tinged sputum?

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021

Explanation

  • The question describes a classic symptom cluster for a severe cardiopulmonary condition.
  • The key differentiating sign is the presence of frothy, blood-tinged (pink) sputum, which is a hallmark of acute pulmonary edema.
  • This specific type of sputum is produced when fluid leaks into the lung's alveoli due to high pressure from left ventricular failure, mixes with air, and becomes stained with blood from ruptured capillaries.
  • The other symptoms—severe dyspnea, orthopnea, pallor, and tachycardia—are all consistent with the body's response to acute heart failure and severe respiratory distress.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder. Its symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and regurgitation, are related to the digestive tract, not the cardiopulmonary system.
  • Option B: Gout is a metabolic disorder causing inflammatory arthritis. Its symptoms are localized to joints and are not related to the respiratory or cardiovascular systems.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect because a correct diagnosis, Pulmonary edema, is provided in the options and perfectly matches the described clinical picture.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Clinical manifestations of acute pulmonary edema helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • Acute pulmonary edema is a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate recognition and intervention to prevent respiratory arrest.
  • The nurse's priority actions include placing the patient in a high Fowler's position to ease breathing, administering high-flow oxygen to combat hypoxemia, and preparing for the administration of IV diuretics (like furosemide) and vasodilators (like nitroglycerin).
  • A key nursing responsibility is continuous monitoring of vital signs, oxygen saturation, and urine output to track the patient's response to therapy and identify any deterioration.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, carefully read the question and identify all the clinical signs and symptoms presented: severe dyspnea, orthopnea, pallor, tachycardia, and frothy blood-tinged sputum.
  • Recognize that this is a 'symptom cluster' question, where the combination of signs points to a specific diagnosis.
  • Isolate the most specific and unique symptom, which in this case is 'frothy blood-tinged sputum'. This is a well-known hallmark sign.
  • Mentally connect this hallmark sign to its associated condition, which is acute pulmonary edema.
  • Evaluate the given options to see if this condition is listed. Option C is Pulmonary edema.
  • Briefly consider the other options (Achalasia, Gout) and confirm they are inconsistent with the respiratory and cardiac symptoms described, as they affect the digestive and musculoskeletal systems, respectively.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Clinical manifestations of acute pulmonary edema
  • Stem keywords: severe dyspnea, orthopnea, pallor, tachycardia, frothy blood tinged sputum
  • Lead-in keywords: Which among the following
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qp2bmr5vsIHLwp11g5W4gC

Reference Book

E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 1 Part 3 pp. 41-43, 28-30

E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 200-202

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