A 60-year-old patient who comes to the emergency room with shortness of breath
is experiencing
A. dysphagia. C. pleural effusion.
B. inspiration. D. dyspnea.
Check the definitions of each of these words in this dictionary.
http://dictionary.reference.com/
I learned when I checked, that dysphagia means difficulty swallowing.
Correct.
The correct answer is D. dyspnea.
To arrive at the answer, you need to understand the symptoms and their meaning. "Shortness of breath" is the main symptom described in the question.
Knowing the meaning of the medical terms given as answer choices will help you choose the correct option:
A. Dysphagia: This refers to difficulty in swallowing. It is not related to shortness of breath, so it can be eliminated as an answer choice.
B. Inspiration: This term refers to the act of breathing in. While shortness of breath is related to breathing, this choice is not specific enough to be the correct answer.
C. Pleural effusion: Pleural effusion is the accumulation of fluid in the space between the lungs and chest cavity. Although it can cause shortness of breath, it is not a descriptive term for experiencing shortness of breath, so it can be eliminated as well.
D. Dyspnea: This medical term specifically describes the symptom of difficulty or discomfort in breathing, which aligns with the patient's presentation of shortness of breath. Therefore, dyspnea is the most accurate answer choice.
In conclusion, the patient presenting with shortness of breath is experiencing dyspnea (Option D).