The nurse is assessing a child with white patches on his tongue that may be candidiasis (thrush). The nurse confirms this suspicion because candidiasis:

Explanation

• Candidiasis adheres to the surface of the muscosa and tongue and is difficult to scrape off

• Candidiasis can occur on the tongue, genitalia, and anus. It can also cause systemic infections

• Candidiasis can cause bleeding when the patches are removed, but this will not happen when scraped with a tongue blade

• Candidiasis does not produce a fruity smell

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