A patient has been diagnosed with serous otitis media for the third time in the past year. How should the nurse best interpret this patient's health status?
A) For some patients, these recurrent infections constitute an age-related physiologic change.
B) The patient would benefit from a temporary mobility restriction to facilitate healing.
C) The patient needs to be assessed for nasopharyngeal cancer.
D) Blood cultures should be drawn to rule out a systemic infection.
Ans: C
Feedback:
A carcinoma (e.g., nasopharyngeal cancer) obstructing the eustachian tube should be ruled out in adults with persistent unilateral serous otitis media. This phenomenon is not an age-related change and does not indicate a systemic infection. Mobility limitations are unnecessary.
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