A patient who is severely brain damaged has decerebrate posturing with extended extremities. In which area of the brain should the nurse suspect the patient has sustained damage?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Decerebrate posturing, characterized by extended extremities, indicates damage to the brainstem, particularly the midbrain or pons. The cerebrum, cerebellum, and hypothalamus are not directly associated with this type of posturing. Recognizing decerebrate posturing is critical for assessing the severity of brain injury.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: optic nerve. The optic nerve carries visual information from the retina to the brain, including the hypothalamus. Light stimuli levels are detected by the retina and transmitted via the optic nerve to the hypothalamus for regulating various physiological processes. A: glossopharyngeal - This nerve is responsible for taste and some motor functions in the throat, not related to light stimuli detection in the retina. B: oculomotor - This nerve controls eye movements, not directly involved in transmitting light stimuli levels to the hypothalamus. D: vagus - This nerve is responsible for parasympathetic functions in the body, not related to processing light stimuli information in the retina.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Neisseria meningitidis. This bacterium is a common cause of epidemic meningitis in college campuses due to person-to-person transmission, especially in crowded living spaces. It has a polysaccharide capsule that helps evade the immune system, leading to severe infections. Haemophilus influenzae type b, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes can also cause meningitis but are not typically associated with college campus epidemics.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, ingestion of undercooked pork. This is because neurocysticercosis is caused by the larvae of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, which can be contracted by consuming undercooked pork containing the cysts. The other choices are incorrect because neurocysticercosis is not transmitted through arthropod bites, exposure to contaminated cat feces, or swimming in contaminated water. It is crucial to thoroughly cook pork to prevent this parasitic infection.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Cranial nerve V (trigeminal). The nurse practitioner is testing the trigeminal nerve's sensory function by using a sterile cotton wisp to assess light touch sensation in the patient's forehead, cheek, and chin. The trigeminal nerve has three branches - ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular - which innervate these areas respectively. By assessing the patient's response to the light touch in these specific areas, the nurse practitioner can determine if the sensory function of the trigeminal nerve is intact. Summary: B: Cranial nerve VII (facial) controls facial expression, not sensation. C: Cranial nerve XII (hypoglossal) controls tongue movement, not facial sensation. D: Cranial nerve II (optic) is responsible for vision, not facial sensation.