Question 1

A nurse treats a patient with Lyme disease and notes that ____ act as vectors and transmits the agent from its reservoir to its host.

Accepted Answer

Arthropods, specifically ticks, act as vectors for Lyme disease, transmitting the bacteria from its reservoir to humans.

Question 2

Communicable diseases that a nurse might expect to commonly encounter in patients include:

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

Although many communicable diseases have been eradicated, new ones are appearing or old ones are morphing into new forms. Which of the following fall into the category of those not yet eradicated?

Accepted Answer

Multiple drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) and West Nile Virus are both communicable diseases that have not been eradicated. Smallpox, however, has been eradicated.

Question 4

When a patient shows symptoms of pneumonia, the nurse knows to first understand three key factors about the disease, including:

Accepted Answer

Understanding the infectious agent, the environment for transmission, and who is at risk are all crucial for managing and preventing pneumonia effectively.

Question 5

Infection control nurses in two hospitals located in the same county notice an increase in positive labs for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 infections in their patients. They then join the investigative team at the public health department to assist in an investigation to determine if there is a possible outbreak. Which of the following lists reflects the order of steps taken in an outbreak investigation?

Accepted Answer

The correct order of steps in an outbreak investigation is to first define a case, then collect data on each case, plot an epidemic curve, and finally generate a hypothesis.

Question 6

A nurse who treated a patient with a severe respiratory infection incorporates which of the following preventive measures to ensure the disease will not spread to others?

Accepted Answer

All of the measures listed (using PPE, washing hands frequently, and properly cleaning patient areas) are essential preventive strategies to prevent the spread of infections.

Question 7

When treating patients that may have an active communicable disease, nurses are required to institute appropriate isolation procedures based on the known or suspected agent. These procedures are public health interventions aimed at preventing the spread of disease in:

Accepted Answer

Isolation procedures are designed to prevent the spread of communicable diseases to employees, community members, and other patients, hence protecting all groups mentioned.

Question 8

Several factors influence the decisions of public health agencies to make vaccines mandatory. These include:

Accepted Answer

Public health agencies consider both the effectiveness of the vaccine and where the highest risk exists when deciding to make vaccines mandatory.

Question 9

Infectious agents classified as mycoses are what type of agent?

Accepted Answer

Mycoses are infections caused by fungi, which can be yeasts or molds.

Question 10

A nurse starting a new job in a pediatric clinic is reviewing a list of commonly seen infectious diseases associated with respiratory illnesses related to an increased risk of mortality in children. Which one of these is included on the list?

Accepted Answer

Influenza is a common respiratory illness that can lead to severe complications and increased mortality in children, especially those with underlying health conditions.

Question 11

A nurse working in a community clinic noticed an unusually large number of patients with a specific type of influenza. The nurse knew that this was occurring in other states as well, making it:

Accepted Answer

An epidemic refers to a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community or region at a particular time. Since the nurse noticed the influenza cases in multiple states, it is considered an epidemic. A pandemic would involve a global spread, and endemic refers to a disease regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.

Question 12

While studying communicable diseases, a PHN learns that the main objective is to control the spread of disease by:

Accepted Answer

The main objective in controlling communicable diseases is to change the environment to reduce transmission and increase host resistance to prevent infection.

Question 13

A nurse volunteering in a clinic in a west African country notices many patients have diarrheal disease. To help set up prevention efforts, which mode of transmission would she not consider?

Accepted Answer

Diarrheal diseases are typically transmitted through waterborne, foodborne, or person-to-person contact, not through vectors like insects.

Question 14

A patient showing signs of pneumonia is admitted to a hospital where tests indicate he has highly infectious M. tuberculosis. He has had contact with many patients, employees, and family members despite placing him in isolation. An investigation team should take which of the following steps to find out what went wrong?

Accepted Answer

All of the above steps are necessary to comprehensively investigate the spread of the infection and understand what went wrong in the isolation process. Identifying the index case, secondary cases, and all contacts helps in tracing the transmission chain and implementing control measures.

Question 15

Nurses give vaccinations to help increase host resistance to other diseases. Among the vaccines commonly administered are:

Accepted Answer

Pneumonia and influenza vaccines are commonly administered to increase host resistance to these diseases. Smallpox vaccination is not commonly administered as the disease has been eradicated.

Question 16

A nurse working in the emergency department is aware that necrotizing fasciitis (the flesh-eating bug) can be caused by:

Accepted Answer

Necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by multiple types of bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacteroides fragilis, among others.

Question 17

Each fall, a public health nurse (PHN) working with older adults checks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu report that tracks trends across the country knowing that influenza usually peaks in ____ and again in____.

Accepted Answer

Influenza typically peaks in December and again in February, according to historical data on flu trends.

Question 18

In the City of Baltimore, a team including a PHN noticed that the prevalence of syphilis in the city had increased by 40%. As part of the investigative team, the nurse and colleagues first determined if the number of cases were above the endemic rate associated with an increased risk for disease. This is called:

Accepted Answer

The epidemic threshold is the point at which the number of cases of a disease exceeds the expected number, indicating a potential outbreak or epidemic.

Question 19

PHNs are involved in protecting the population at large from the spread of infectious agents. They must be able to identify elements of the cycle of communicable disease transmission in their patients, including all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

Antibiotics effective against the agent are not part of the cycle of communicable disease transmission; they are a treatment method. The cycle includes the reservoir, portal of entry, and susceptible host.

Quiz 8: Communicable Diseases