Deck 19: Perspectives on Infectious Disease and Bioterrorism

Question 1

The nurse caring for a client who develops a urinary tract infection during hospitalization explains that the infection is likely a

A) consequence of bacteremia.
B) nidus formation.
C) nosocomial infection.
D) viral infection.

Answer 1

nosocomial infection.

Question 2

A nurse is concerned about caring for three postoperative clients and one client with an infectious disease. The nursing manager educates the nurse about the most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, which is to

A) care for the postoperative clients first, and then see the infected client.
B) place the infected client in the appropriate isolation.
C) practice appropriate hand-washing and sanitation.
D) transfer the infected client to a private room at the end of the hallway.

Answer 2

practice appropriate hand-washing and sanitation.

Question 3

The infection control nurse explains to the staff that resistant organisms, like vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), evolve by

A) colonizing a client who has had repeated nosocomial infections.
B) contact with the host's weakened immune system.
C) infecting a client with a history of untreated infections.
D) mutation of the pathogen because of frequent exposure to antibiotics.

Answer 3

mutation of the pathogen because of frequent exposure to antibiotics.

Question 4

A client has been exposed to an infectious organism but has no clinical manifestations of disease. The nurse cautions the client that this period of time is the

A) cell gap.
B) immune response.
C) infection curve.
D) latent period.

Question 5

A notation on a client's health record notes that she has a subclinical infection. The nurse assessing this client would expect

A) clinical manifestations of the disease that are not as dramatic as usual.
B) fever with no elevation in the white blood cell count.
C) no systemic manifestations of disease.
D) reports of fatigue and lassitude after the infection.

Question 6

The nurse explaining an infection to a client with the flu would describe an infection as a/an

A) defect in the immune system.
B) hypersensitivity reaction between a human antigen and a biologic agent.
C) inflammatory response to an irritant.
D) parasitic relationship between an organism and host.

Question 7

The infection control nurse in a long-term care facility (LTCF) understands that infection control procedures have to be adopted for use in the LTCF because

A) elderly clients are much less likely to acquire an infectious disease in a LTCF.
B) residents are usually not allowed to enter LTCFs with infectious diseases.
C) they must balance the need for infection control and socialization in the LTCF.
D) with fewer staff, it is difficult for a staff member to transmit an infectious disease.

Question 8

The nurse is explaining defense mechanisms to a client and uses the representative barrier example in the first line of defense known as

A) antigen-antibody reaction.
B) cell-mediated immunity.
C) inflammatory response.
D) pH of vaginal secretions.

Question 9

The nurse can best instruct a client to avoid the acquisition of hookworm by

A) advising the client not to eat raw pork products.
B) advising the client to drink only bottled water when traveling.
C) encouraging the client to wear shoes outdoors.
D) teaching the client good hand-washing technique.

Question 10

The nurse is teaching a group of clients about ways that infections are transmitted. The comment made by one of the clients that shows the need for further instruction is

A) "A vector transmits infection by biting someone who doesn't have the infection."
B) "Sneezing can put infected droplets in the air for someone else to breathe."
C) "The portal of entry and the portal of exit are always the same."
D) "You can get infections from touching something contaminated by a sick person."

Question 11

A client is taking a 3-week diving vacation in a foreign country and will be staying at a local hotel known for its native food. The nurse cautions the client that a common traveler's infection is giardiasis, and that the client should be cautious about

A) eating food and drinking beverages prepared in the foreign country.
B) flying on an airplane in close contact with other persons.
C) swimming in the coastal waters of the foreign country.
D) taking the necessary inoculations required to travel.

Question 12

An elderly client was admitted yesterday for dehydration. The client has an IV infusion and a Foley catheter. Today the client appears restless and will not eat. The client's vital signs are T 99.2° F, P 88 beats/min, R 20 breaths/min, BP (142/82) mm Hg. The nurse should first assess the client further for

A) an infection.
B) medication usage.
C) orientation status.
D) stroke/TIA.

Question 13

The nurse gives diligent catheter care to the clients in a nursing home because the nurse is aware that bacteria can migrate into the bladder in

A) 5 hours.
B) 10 hours.
C) 24 hours.
D) 72 hours.

Question 14

The nurse working on a community initiative to respond to pandemic flu would design priority interventions that would

A) bolster the communication network with the federal government.
B) educate the public on what to do in a pandemic.
C) limit person-to-person transmission.
D) provide antiviral medications to every person in the community.

Question 15

For clients thought to be in the period of communicability for influenza, the community health nurse will focus the interventions on

A) ensuring that clients do not infect others.
B) evaluating clients' response to the organism.
C) protecting clients from complications.
D) supporting clients' immune systems.

Question 16

The nurse caring for a client infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) should

A) discourage transfer to a long-term care facility.
B) encourage the client to increase fluid consumption.
C) place the client in protective isolation.
D) use standard precautions plus transmission-based precautions.

Question 17

The nurse assesses a client's systemic manifestations of fever and malaise as the line of defense known as

A) complete.
B) partial.
C) primary.
D) secondary.

Question 18

An elderly client is admitted and placed into contact and respiratory isolation. The client's spouse becomes upset seeing health care providers in gowns and masks and demands they refrain from wearing them because it is confusing to the client and the spouse thinks the health care providers are scaring the client. The best response by the nurse to help the client and spouse would be to say

A) "Has anyone explained the reason for the isolation to you?"
B) "I understand you are upset, but we have to protect other clients from infection."
C) "It's hospital policy and we all have to abide by the isolation precautions."
D) "Let me show you the items we need when we come in the room."

Question 19

The nurse assesses for surgical wound infection particularly closely in the client who has undergone

A) craniotomy for tumor removal.
B) hysterectomy.
C) repair of a perforated bowel.
D) tonsillectomy.

Question 20

The nurse, in compliance with the 1991 Recommendations for Immunization of Healthcare Workers by the CDC, will have received

A) a tetanus booster every year.
B) HIV vaccination upon employment.
C) immunization against cholera.
D) the three-dose series of hepatitis B vaccine.

Question 21

The nurse is aware that anthrax is at the top of the threat list for bioterror weapons because (Select all that apply)

A) early manifestations are vague and look like a cold.
B) it would have a high mortality rate.
C) the attack would be invisible and odorless.
D) there is no vaccination available.

Question 22

The nurse collaborating on a community committee designing responses for a bioterrorism attack would understand that an attack by smallpox (Select all that apply)

A) can be perpetuated through contact with infected items.
B) could be made with only a small amount of the virus.
C) is predicted to be deadly because there is no vaccine available.
D) will create terror because there is no effective treatment for smallpox.
E) would be hard to control because of the long time between infection and illness.

Question 23

General health promotion measures a nurse can teach a group of clients in order to prevent infections include (Select all that apply)

A) controlling portals of exit of infectious organisms.
B) eliminating personal behaviors that might lead to infection.
C) examining cultural behaviors that might promote infection.
D) maintaining good nutritional status.
E) preventing displacement of normal flora.