A 78-year-old client has been brought to the emergency department from home with a sudden change in mental status accompanied by significant weakness. For which condition should the health care providers assess?
A) Alzheimer disease
B) Lung cancer
C) Pneumonia
D) Tuberculosis
Ans: C
In older adults, pneumonia often has a presentation that differs from that of younger adults. Rather than presenting with a cough, chills, dyspnea, elevated temperature, and elevated white blood cell count, older adults are more likely to have subtler and nonspecific disease manifestations such as fatigue and change in mental status. Alzheimer disease has an insidious onset. Lung cancer and tuberculosis are not characterized by cognitive deficits.
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