Answer :
Final answer:
Palpation of joints during an acute episode of rheumatoid arthritis is likely to result in increased pain and tenderness due to the chronic inflammation of the synovial joints that characterizes the disease.
Explanation:
If a nurse palpates a client's joints during an acute episode of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the likely outcome is a) Increased pain and tenderness. RA is characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial joints which can lead to tender, warm, and swollen joints. Palpation of these inflamed joints during an acute episode is likely to cause discomfort and increase the pain and tenderness felt by the patient.
Moreover, symptoms such as fatigue, joint stiffness, especially after periods of inactivity, and a symmetrical pattern of affected joints are common in RA. This contrasts with the numbness and tingling typically associated with neurological issues rather than the joint inflammation caused by RA.
