A new mother calls the clinic to report that part of her left breast is red, swollen, tender, very hot, and hard.She has a fever of 38.3°C.She also has had symptoms of influenza, such as chills, sweating, and feeling tired.The nurse notices that she has been breastfeeding for 1 month.From her description, what condition does the nurse suspect?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest the mother may have mastitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the breast tissue that commonly occurs in breastfeeding mothers. The redness, swelling, tenderness, heat, and hardness may be due to an accumulation of milk in the affected area. The presence of a fever is also consistent with an infection. Paget's disease is a rare type of breast cancer, and plugged milk duct and mammary duct ectasia are benign conditions that do not typically present with a fever or systemic symptoms.

A New Mother Calls the Clinic to Report That Part