Breast and axillae

Step 1 Review the case scenario.

You are working in the emergency room, and you must conduct a history and physical assessment on a 28-year-old client. The subjective information indicates the following: The client, who is four weeks postpartum, reports having a large, painful, warm, and reddened area below the right nipple for three days. She has had a fever of 101 for the past 24 hours, for which she has been taking Tylenol, every four to six hours, for pain relief. She reports pain at a 7/10 on the numeric pain scale. Objective findings include: Temperature: 101.7; the right breast is engorged, reddened, warm, and tender upon palpation.

Step 2 Respond to the discussion questions.

In your response, address each of the following questions:

• Explain the special considerations, such as the symptoms in the scenario above, that nurses should be aware of when assessing the breasts and axillae, interpreting findings, and planning nursing care for clients. How would you interpret your findings in relation to the case scenario? What nursing diagnoses are indicated related to the breast and axillae?
• Incorporate at least one professional, evidence-based resource to support your response (include citations and references for sources using correct format).
• Share your personal experiences with the history taking, physical assessment, and interpretation of findings related to the breasts and axillae in clients with special considerations:
• What were the challenges?
• How did you overcome these challenges?