Which of the following would be priority assessment data to gather from a client who has been diagnosed with pneumonia? Select all that apply.

1. Auscultation of breath sounds
2. Auscultation of bowel
3. Presence of chest pain
4. Presence of peripheral edema
5. Color of nail beds  

A. Auscultation of breath sounds

C. Presence of chest pains

E. Color of nail beds

Step-by-step explanation

Pneumonia is an infection which inflames the air sacs and the lungs. Variety of organisms such as the virus, bacteria and fungi are possible causes of pneumonia. The air sacs fill with fluid or pus which causes cough, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing. It occurs in both young and older people and it is one of the leading cause of death world wide. Priority assessment data helps nurses to quickly gather information which help determine client stability and priority for care. The priority assessment data for pneumonia includes listening or auscultating for the breathing sounds in order to determine if the chest is congested, assessing for the color of the nail beds where a change in color of the nail beds indicate an unhealthy condition and assessing for chest pains which could be interfering with a patient's ability to breathe deeply. Other ways that pneumonia can be assessed is through assessing the rate, the rhythm and the depth of respiration and chest movement where altered breathing pattern may occur, assessing the cough effectiveness and productivity since coughing is the most effective way to remove secretions , observing the color of sputum, odor and viscosity where changes in sputum indicate an infection as well as checking on the hydration status of a patient since inadequate hydration hinders airway clearance.