Question

A 55-year-old man with emphysema (a type of lung disease) who has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years is hospitalized for acute onset of cough with bloody sputum. After a few days of testing and treatment, the patient's nurse reads a physician's note on the chart: "I have told the patient that the etiologies of his presenting problem are: 1) exacerbation of his chronio emphysema and 2) the new diagnosis of lung cancer. The onset of both was contributed to by his longstanding smoking." The patient asks the nurse for more information about his illness. Which explanation, by the nurse, indicates a full understanding of the patient's situation? "You have a new disease process that was directly caused by all the coughing you've been doing from cigarette smoking." "You have a sudden onset of a chronic lung disease that was brought on by lung cancer." "The coughing up of blood is caused by a worsening of a disease you've had for a long time plus a new problem -- lung cancer." "These diseases have been creeping up on you for probably 20 years; it just goes to show that you should never have taken up smoking."

Answer 1

The patient who is having emphysema was admitted for Haemoptysis that is coughing of blood or bloody sputum.The etiologies for Haemoptysis is

1.Exacerbation of chronic emphysema and

2.Lung cancer- New diagnosis.

Among the above options, option C indicates a full understanding of patient condition by the Nurse.

Rationale : Option "C" , says that coughing of blood is caused by worsening of the disease already the patient had that is "Emphysema", and newly diagnosed lung cancer.

This option is relevant to the physician documentation.

Option "A", only speaks about the new disease that patient had and also the statement says that new disease was caused by coughing which is not relevant according to the physician data.

Option "B " , states that patient suddenly had a chronic lung disease because of lung cancer which is a false statement.

Option "D", states that these disease were creeping from 20 years because of smoking which is actually a false statement.Because lung cancer is a new diagnosis.

Thus option C is the correct statement.