A postpartum patient reports sharp, shooting pains in her nipple during breastfeeding and flaky, itchy skin on her breasts. The nurse suspects:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest possible mastitis, which is an infection in the breast tissue that can cause painful, shooting sensations during breastfeeding as well as itching and flakiness on the skin. Nipple soreness and engorgement may also occur, but typically do not include these additional symptoms. Letdown reflex, while a normal physiological process during breastfeeding, would not cause sharp, shooting pains or skin irritation.

A Postpartum Patient Reports Sharp, Shooting Pains in Her Nipple