ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 12 : Infection Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is teaching a health class in the local public health center. What instructions should the nurse provide as the single most important measure to prevent the spread of infection?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hand hygiene remains the single most important measure to prevent the spread of infection. It reduces the number of transient and resident microorganisms. Sufficient food intake helps restore biologic defense mechanisms but does not prevent spread of infections. Although minimal social contact and regular immunizations may help prevent the spread of infection, especially community-acquired infections, these are not practical measures.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse on the unit sustains a needlestick injury while caring for a client whose infectious status is unknown. What would be the best course of action for the nurse to follow?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: If a needlestick injury has occurred, the nurse should be tested for disease antibodies immediately and at appropriate intervals thereafter. The nurse should document the injury in writing immediately and should not wait until the client's infectious status is confirmed. The nurse should also notify the supervisor of the injury immediately and identify the person or source of blood, if possible.
Question 3 of 5
The nursing instructor is teaching beginning nursing students about infection. Toward the end of class, the instructor gives the students a scenario of a client with an infection who has developed fever and diarrhea. What should the student nurse instruct the client to avoid?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A client with fever and diarrhea should avoid tea, coffee, and carbonated beverages containing caffeine because these promote diuresis. The intake of ice water, broth, fruit juices, gelatin, and milk should be encouraged to add proteins and calories.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is working on a gerontology unit. A family member calls and tells the nurse they want to bring the family in to see one of the clients on the unit. The family member is concerned because several of the family members have colds. What instructions should the nurse provide to someone with a respiratory infection?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse should instruct anyone with respiratory infections to avoid visiting older adults until symptoms subside; older adults are more susceptible to infections because their defense mechanisms are less efficient. It is not essential for the client to avoid frozen or protein-rich foods or direct sunlight.
Question 5 of 5
The intensive care unit nurse is caring for a client with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. The nurse knows that this type of encephalopathy is caused by what type of infectious agent?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A prion is a protein that does not contain nucleic acid. Research suggests that normal prions present in brain cells protect against dementia. When a prion mutates, however, it is capable of becoming an infectious agent and altering other normal prion proteins into similar mutant copies. The mutant prions, which can be formed by genetic predisposition or acquired by transmission between the same or similar infected animal species, cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are not caused by protozoa, helminths, or rickettsias.