A client reports to the nurse feeling achy and weak, being tired and coughing all the time, frequent headaches and night sweats. Which diagnostic procedure should the nurse prepare to do first?

A client reports to the nurse feeling achy and weak, being tired and coughing all the time, frequent headaches and night sweats. Which diagnostic procedure should the nurse prepare to do first?

• A. Sputum culture
• B. Chest X-ray
• C. Blood culture
• D. CT scan

Answer: (C)

When a client shows signs of a systemic infection—achy, weak, tired, persistent cough, headaches, night sweats—the priority is to identify any bacteria circulating in the blood. A blood culture is the test that detects bacteremia and helps guide urgent, targeted antibiotic therapy. Drawing blood cultures before starting antibiotics increases the chance of identifying the organism and its sensitivities, which is crucial for effective treatment. Chest X-ray can reveal lung involvement or TB-like changes, and a sputum culture can identify respiratory pathogens, but neither confirms bloodstream infection or directly drives initial management as quickly as a blood culture. A CT scan provides detailed imaging but isn’t the first step when the goal is to identify systemic infection.

When a client shows signs of a systemic infection—achy, weak, tired, persistent cough, headaches, night sweats—the priority is to identify any bacteria circulating in the blood. A blood culture is the test that detects bacteremia and helps guide urgent, targeted antibiotic therapy. Drawing blood cultures before starting antibiotics increases the chance of identifying the organism and its sensitivities, which is crucial for effective treatment.

Chest X-ray can reveal lung involvement or TB-like changes, and a sputum culture can identify respiratory pathogens, but neither confirms bloodstream infection or directly drives initial management as quickly as a blood culture. A CT scan provides detailed imaging but isn’t the first step when the goal is to identify systemic infection.