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.