Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 83%
Simulated
Passage / Scenario
A patient exhibiting signs of infective endocarditis with proteinuria, ESR-14 mm/hr, weight gain of 2 kg, hemoglobin-13.8, temperature-102.5°FA pediatric nurse is concerned that her patient is exhibiting signs of infective endocarditis. Which of the following symptoms would lead the nurse to suspect that diagnosis?
Correct answer
E
Rationale
The correct answer is E: Temperature - 102.5┬░F. Fever is a common symptom of infective endocarditis due to the body's immune response to the infection. Elevated body temperature indicates an inflammatory process, which is characteristic of infective endocarditis. Proteinuria (A) is not typically associated with infective endocarditis. ESR (B) may be elevated in infective endocarditis, but it is not specific to the diagnosis. Weight gain (C) is not a common symptom of infective endocarditis. Hemoglobin levels (D) may be normal or low in infective endocarditis, so it is not a reliable indicator.