ATI RN
Introduction to Epidemiology Ray M Merrill Case Study Questions Questions
Question 1 of 4
Which of the following activities best defines epidemiology?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Step 1: Epidemiology focuses on studying patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease in specific populations. Step 2: Recommending a restaurant closure after a norovirus outbreak investigation aligns with identifying the source and preventing further spread in a population. Step 3: This activity involves data collection, analysis, and intervention to control disease transmission. Step 4: Prescribing antibiotics (A) and teaching diabetes classes (B) are more related to individual healthcare, not population-based disease control. Encouraging family dinners (D) is unrelated to epidemiological principles.
Question 2 of 4
The public health nurse is studying the proportion of the population in a certain county that had pneumonia during the winter months. Which epidemiological measure will the nurse use?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Prevalence rate. In this case, the nurse is studying the proportion of the population that had pneumonia during the winter months. Prevalence rate measures the total number of existing cases in the population at a specific point in time, which aligns with the nurse's objective to study the proportion of the population affected by pneumonia during the winter months. Incorrect choices: A: Attack rate measures the proportion of people exposed to a particular factor who develop the disease. B: Incidence rate measures the number of new cases of a disease that develop in a population over a specific period. D: Risk ratio compares the risk of developing a disease in the exposed group to the risk in the non-exposed group. In summary, prevalence rate is the appropriate measure as it focuses on the total number of existing cases of pneumonia in the population, while the other choices do not match the nurse's objective in this scenario.
Question 3 of 4
Which of the following factors is a component of the epidemiological triad?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Environment. The epidemiological triad consists of three components - host, agent, and environment. The environment plays a crucial role in determining the interactions between the host and agent, influencing the occurrence and spread of diseases. Susceptibility (A) refers to the host's vulnerability to a disease, portal of exit (C) is the route through which an infectious agent leaves the host, and pathogenicity (D) is the ability of an agent to cause disease. These factors are important in disease transmission but are not part of the epidemiological triad itself.
Question 4 of 4
Which diagnosis would the nurse anticipate when observing a “bull’s eye†rash on a client’s leg?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Lyme disease. The "bull's eye" rash is a classic symptom of Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This rash appears as a red circular rash with a clear center, resembling a bull's eye. This distinctive rash is a result of the bacteria spreading in the skin. Other choices are incorrect as they do not present with a bull's eye rash. Zika virus presents with fever and rash, West Nile virus with fever and neurological symptoms, and Dengue fever with fever, severe headache, and joint pain. Lyme disease is the only condition among the options that specifically presents with a bull's eye rash.