A 46-year-old male patient is 2 days post-op for surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm.He is currently receiving mechanical ventilation.Auscultation of the anterior and posterior chest reveals bilateral late inspiratory crackles.Percussion is dull in both lower lobes.A STAT radiograph reveals bibasilar infiltrates.The most likely cause of this patient's clinical presentation is which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Late inspiratory crackles and infiltrates on the chest X-ray are indicative of consolidation due to pneumonia.A patient having an asthma exacerbation would present with wheezing,hyperresonance on percussion,and increased radiolucency on X-ray.A patient with a pneumothorax would have unilateral absence of breath sounds,hyperresonance on percussion over the affected area,and lack of vascular markings over the affected area on X-ray.A pleural effusion manifests itself on X-ray as a blunting of the costophrenic angle on the affected side,a pleural friction rub just above the fluid level,and dullness to percussion over the pleural effusion.

A 46-Year-Old Male Patient Is 2 Days Post-Op for Surgery