ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 35 : Caring for Clients With HIV AIDS Questions
Question 1 of 5
What does the nurse understand is the goal of antiretroviral therapy?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The goal of antiretroviral therapy is to bring the viral load to a virtually undetectable level. This level is no more than 500 or 50 copies, depending on the sensitivity of the selected viral load test. It is not possible to reverse the status to a negative, and it cannot eliminate the risk of AIDS but can help with prolonging the asymptomatic stage of HIV. Antiretroviral therapy does not treat mycobacterium avium complex.
Question 2 of 5
A client on antiretroviral drug therapy informs the nurse about sometimes forgetting to take the medication for a few days. What should the nurse inform the client can occur when the medications are not taken as prescribed?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Clients who neglect to take antiretroviral drugs as prescribed risk development of drug resistance. When drug levels are not adequately maintained, viral replication and mutations increase. Funding will not cease for noncompliance. The medications are not all available in IV form. Taking a higher dose of the medication if missed does not resolve drug resistance.
Question 3 of 5
A client that is HIV+ has been diagnosed with Pneumocystis pneumonia caused by P. jiroveci. What medication does the nurse expect that the client will take for the treatment of this infection?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
To prevent and treat Pneumocystis pneumonia, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) is prescribed. The other medications are antifungals and used to treat candidiasis.
Question 4 of 5
A client with AIDS is admitted to the hospital with severe diarrhea and dehydration. The physician suspects an infection with Cryptosporidium. What type of specimen should be collected to confirm this diagnosis?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A stool specimen for ova and parasites will give a definitive diagnosis. The organism is spread by the fecal-oral route from contaminated water, food, or human or animal waste. Those infected can lose from 10 to 20 L of fluid per day. Losing this magnitude of fluid quickly leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Question 5 of 5
A client tells the nurse, 'You know I have AIDS. I still cannot afford to tell my employer because they will probably cancel my health insurance, then what would I do?' What is the best response by the nurse?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Despite HIV-specific confidentially laws, clients infected with AIDS fear that disclosure of their condition will affect employment, health insurance coverage, and even housing. An employer cannot cancel a client's currently active health insurance policy on the basis of AIDS. However, employers are more apt to dismiss a worker with a known HIV-positive status from employment to reduce future insurance premiums and death payments. The other answers are nontherapeutic and not based in fact.