Nokea
A nurse is caring for a patient hospitalized with AIDS. A friend comes to visit the patient and privately asks the nurse about the risk of contracting HIV when visiting the patient. What is the nurses best response?
- A. Do you think that you might already have HIV?
- B. Dont worry. Your immune system is likely very healthy.
- C. AIDS isnt transmitted by casual contact.
- D. You cant contract AIDS in a hospital setting.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: AIDS is commonly transmitted by contact with blood and body fluids. Patients, family, and friends must be reassured that HIV is not spread through casual contact. A healthy immune system is not necessarily a protection against HIV. A hospital setting does not necessarily preclude HIV infection.
You may also like to solve these questions
A public health nurse is preparing an educational campaign to address a recent local increase in the incidence of HIV infection. The nurse should prioritize which of the following interventions?
- A. Lifestyle actions that improve immune function
- B. Educational programs that focus on control and prevention
- C. Appropriate use of standard precautions
- D. Screening programs for youth and young adults
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Until an effective vaccine is developed, preventing HIV by eliminating and reducing risk behaviors is essential. Educational interventions are the primary means by which behaviors can be influenced. Screening is appropriate, but education is paramount. Enhancing immune function does not prevent HIV infection. Ineffective use of standard precautions apply to very few cases of HIV infection.
A patient with HIV infection has developed severe diarrhea. What is the most appropriate nursing intervention to help alleviate the diarrhea?
- A. Administer antidiarrheal medications on a scheduled basis, as ordered.
- B. Encourage the patient to eat three balanced meals and a snack at bedtime.
- C. Increase the patients oral fluid intake.
- D. Encourage the patient to increase his or her activity level.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Administering antidiarrheal agents on a regular schedule may be more beneficial than administering them on an as-needed basis, provided the patients diarrhea is not caused by an infectious microorganism. Increased oral fluid may exacerbate diarrhea; IV fluid replacement is often indicated. Small, more frequent meals may be beneficial, and it is unrealistic to increase activity while the patient has frequent diarrhea.
A patients primary infection with HIV has subsided and an equilibrium now exists between HIV levels and the patients immune response. This physiologic state is known as which of the following?
- A. Static stage
- B. Latent stage
- C. Viral set point
- D. Window period
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The remaining amount of virus in the body after primary infection is referred to as the viral set point, which results in a steady state of infection that lasts for years. This is not known as the static or latent stage. The window period is the time a person infected with HIV tests negative even though he or she is infected.
A hospital nurse has experienced percutaneous exposure to an HIV-positive patients blood as a result of a needlestick injury. The nurse has informed the supervisor and identified the patient. What action should the nurse take next?
- A. Flush the wound site with chlorhexidine.
- B. Report to the emergency department or employee health department.
- C. Apply a hydrocolloid dressing to the wound site.
- D. Follow up with the nurses primary care provider.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: After initiating the emergency reporting system, the nurse should report as quickly as possible to the employee health services, the emergency department, or other designated treatment facility. Flushing is recommended, but chlorhexidine is not used for this purpose. Applying a dressing is not recommended. Following up with the nurses own primary care provider would require an unacceptable delay.
A nurse is assessing the skin integrity of a patient who has AIDS. When performing this inspection, the nurse should prioritize assessment of what skin surfaces?
- A. Perianal region and oral mucosa
- B. Sacral region and lower abdomen
- C. Scalp and skin over the scapulae
- D. Axillae and upper thorax
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should inspect all the patients skin surfaces and mucous membranes, but the oral mucosa and perianal region are particularly vulnerable to skin breakdown and fungal infection.