What symptom would a nurse most likely find in a male client suspected of having gonorrhea?

In a male client suspected of having gonorrhea, the most characteristic symptom is pain on urination, known as dysuria. This occurs as a direct result of the infection affecting the urethra, leading to inflammation and discomfort when urinating. Gonorrhea often presents with urethritis in men, which manifests as urethral discharge, increased frequency of urination, and dysuria.

While other symptoms such as testicular pain and purulent rectal discharge can occur, they are less specific to gonorrhea. Testicular pain may indicate complications like epididymitis but is not the hallmark symptom of gonorrheal infection itself. Purulent rectal discharge can occur if the infection is present in the rectal area, which is less common in men compared to urethral involvement. A skin rash is generally associated with other infections or systemic conditions, rather than sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea.

Thus, pain on urination stands out as the most likely symptom to observe in a male client with a gonorrhea diagnosis.