While performing a morning assessment on a terminally ill patient, the nurse observes a generalized purplish blotching of the patient's skin. The nurse identifies this finding as

Question

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The purplish blotching of the skin is a sign of mottling, which often indicates poor circulation and impending death in terminally ill patients. Maceration refers to the softening and breakdown of skin due to prolonged exposure to moisture, excoriation refers to a loss of skin due to damage or trauma, and evisceration refers to the protrusion of organs from a wound.

While Performing a Morning Assessment on a Terminally Ill Patient