Nokea
The nurse is caring for a 65-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath and chest discomfort. The client has not been feeling well for the past few days and complains of a productive cough of blood-tinged sputum. Laboratory tests reveal an elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and chest x-ray reveals pulmonary congestion. Based on the assessment findings, which of the following diagnosis are consistent with these findings?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Elevated BNP and pulmonary congestion plus dyspnea, chest pain, hemoptysis point to left-sided heart failure, where ventricle falters, flooding lungs with fluid. Lung cancer might bleed but lacks BNP spike. Right-sided failure swells periphery, not lungs initially. Pulmonary embolism clots, not congests, with normal BNP. Nurses link this to left heart strain, anticipating diuretics, a diagnosis fitting this wet-lung picture.