The nurse notices that an older female nursing home resident is not eating and that her heart rate is faster than usual. Which should the nurse do to determine if pneumonia is a potential cause of the change in her status?
a. Obtain a specimen for aerobic blood cul-tures.
b. Promptly send the resident for a chest x-ray examination.
c. Analyze sputum for color, texture, and volume.
d. Compare tympanic temperature to the baseline.
C
Sputum cultures are indicated to assess a resident for pneumonia. Sputum is a sensitive and spe-cific clinical indicator of pneumonia for older adults in nursing homes. If pneumonia is causing this resident's anorexia and tachycardia, then her sputum should be cloudy, colored, and thick, especially if the resident is dehydrated, which indicates an infection.
Blood cultures are likely to show no growth unless the resident has severe sepsis. A chest x-ray study is a nonsensitive, nonspecific diagnostic tool for determining the presence of pneu-monia in an older adult. Fever can be a late indicator of infection for an older adult.
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