ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 12 : Infection Questions
Question 1 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 2 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.
Question 3 of 5
Which of the following would be considered a mechanical defense mechanism?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mechanical defense mechanisms are physical barriers that prevent microorganisms from gaining entry or expel microorganisms before they multiply. Examples are the skin and mucous membranes, physiologic reflexes (e.g., sneezing, coughing, vomiting), and macrophages. Casts, clothing, and sunscreen do not keep microorganisms from gaining entry to the body.
Question 4 of 5
A client with a Staphylococcus aureus infection present in a sacral pressure ulcer has received treatment with three courses of antibiotics without eliminating the infection. What does the nurse understand has occurred with the client?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, are developing multidrug resistance, the ability to remain unaffected by antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics. There are no facts to indicate the client has been misdiagnosed. Staphylococcus aureus is treated with antibiotics and is a bacterium, not a fungus.
Question 5 of 5
A client is diagnosed with a viral illness and requests an antibiotic to 'cure' the illness. When the request is refused by the physician, the client states to the nurse, 'I will never get better.' What is the best response by the nurse?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Causes of antibiotic resistance, a consequence of bacterial mutations that interfere with the mechanism of antibiotic action, are related to inappropriate prescription of antibiotics for viral (rather than bacterial) infection. Because viral infections are often self-limiting, with symptoms control, the client will get better. Indicating that the client is not thinking positively is a nontherapeutic comment. Informing the client that taking unnecessary antibiotics will cause illness is not detailed enough to be an informative response.