The following male patients recently arrived in the emergency department. Which one should the nurse assess first?
a. 19-year-old who is complaining of severe scrotal pain
b. 60-year-old with a nontender ulceration of the glans penis
c. 22-year-old who has purulent urethral drainage and back pain
d. 64-year-old who has dysuria after brachytherapy for prostate cancer
ANS: A
The patient's age and symptoms suggest possible testicular torsion, which will require rapid treatment in order to prevent testicular necrosis. The other patients also require assessment by the nurse, but their history and symptoms indicate nonemergent problems (acute prostatitis, cancer of the penis, and radiation-associated urinary tract irritation)
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