The caregiver of an older client with flu reports to a geriatric nurse that the client has shallow respirations. What advice can the geriatric nurse give the caretaker to improve the client's ease of breathing? (Select all that apply.)

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Shallow respirations in an older client with flu suggest difficulty oxygenating effectively, often due to mucus buildup or fatigue. Elevating the head of the bed helps by using gravity to open the airways, reducing pressure on the diaphragm and improving lung expansion, which is especially beneficial for older adults with weakened respiratory muscles. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, loosening mucus and easing breathing, which is critical when flu causes thick secretions. Antipyretics reduce fever but don't directly address shallow breathing, though fever management supports overall comfort. Analgesics might relieve pain but not respiratory effort. A face mask could worsen breathing by restricting airflow unless oxygen is medically indicated. The nurse's advice focuses on non-invasive, practical measures to enhance airflow and comfort, tailored to the client's age and flu-related respiratory challenges, ensuring better oxygenation and reduced strain.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Further teaching is needed if the patient thinks the vaccine isn't recommended for older adults, as this is false seniors over 65 are a priority group due to high flu complication risks, per CDC guidelines. Effectiveness varying by individual (e.g., age, immunity) and strain match is true, reflecting real-world vaccine dynamics. A 60% incidence reduction is plausible when matched well, showing understanding. Not protecting against other viruses (e.g., colds) is accurate flu vaccines target influenza only. The misconception about older adults signals a gap; the provider must clarify that seniors need it most, often with high-dose versions, to prevent severe outcomes like pneumonia, ensuring the patient's knowledge aligns with evidence-based practice for their demographic.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Influenza in a 67-year-old raises the risk of sinusitis and otitis media, as viral irritation of the respiratory tract leads to sinus inflammation or eustachian tube blockage, fostering bacterial superinfections. Age-related immune decline heightens this in seniors. Arthritis and Cushing's syndrome aren't flu-linked joint or hormonal issues don't follow. Aortic valve prolapse is structural, not infectious. Gastritis and goiter affect digestion and thyroid, not respiratory sequelae. The nurse flags sinusitis and otitis media as common, treatable complications, per clinical patterns, urging vigilance for symptoms like sinus pain or earache to prevent escalation in this vulnerable client.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Expiratory airflow obstruction diagnosed by spirometry (A) confirms emphysema'. Choice B is false; weight loss is common, akin to neoplasia. Choice C is incorrect; blood gases are normal at rest in pure emphysema (unlike bronchitis-dominant cases). Choice D is wrong; symptoms emerge with one-third parenchymal loss, not one-quarter. Choice E (purulent cough) fits bronchitis, not pure emphysema. Page 721 details spirometry's role reduced FEV₁/FVC reflects irreversible obstruction from alveolar destruction, making A the diagnostic cornerstone, unlike B's rarity claim or C's gas error.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Intrinsic asthma is triggered by viral infections (C), a non-allergic mechanism. Choice A is false; extrinsic asthma is Type I hypersensitivity. Choice B is incorrect; extrinsic (atopic) is most common. Choice D is wrong; IgE levels are normal. Choice E (negative skin tests) is true but not listed. Page 726 notes C's viral trigger respiratory infections (e.g., RSV) provoke hyperresponsiveness without IgE, contrasting with A's allergic basis or B's prevalence.