Question

A male client comes into the clinic with a history of penile discharge with painful, burning urination. Which action should the nurse implement?

Collect a culture of the penile discharge.
Palpate the inguinal lymph nodes gently.
Observe for scrotal swelling and redness.
Express the discharge to determine color.

Answer 1

The nurse should collect a culture of the penile discharge from the male client to determine the cause of the symptoms and guide treatment decisions. Gonorrhea is a possible cause and can be confirmed with a culture. Other possible causes include urinary tract infections or other STIs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should collect a culture of the penile discharge from the male client. This will help determine the cause of the symptoms and guide appropriate treatment. Gonorrhea is one possible cause of the symptoms, which can present with painful urination and penile discharge.

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause inflammation in the urinary tract. It may result in pain during urination. Collecting a culture of the penile discharge can confirm the presence of gonorrhea and guide treatment decisions.

Other possible causes of the symptoms include urinary tract infections or other sexually transmitted infections. Collecting a culture will help identify the specific pathogen causing the symptoms and guide appropriate treatment.