A nurse is completing a nutritional status of a patient who has been admitted with AIDS-related complications. What components should the nurse include in this assessment? Select all that apply.
- A. Serum albumin level
- B. Weight history
- C. White blood cell count
- D. Body mass index
- E. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level
Correct Answer: A,B,D,E
Rationale: Nutritional status is assessed by obtaining a dietary history and identifying factors that may interfere with oral intake, such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, oral pain, or difficulty swallowing. In addition, the patients ability to purchase and prepare food is assessed. Weight history (i.e., changes over time); anthropometric measurements; and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum protein, albumin, and transferrin levels provide objective measurements of nutritional status. White cell count is not a typical component of a nutritional assessment.
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A patient has been diagnosed with AIDS complicated by chronic diarrhea. What nursing intervention would be appropriate for this patient?
- A. Position the patient in the high Fowlers position whenever possible.
- B. Temporarily eliminate animal protein from the patients diet.
- C. Make sure the patient eats at least two servings of raw fruit each day.
- D. Obtain a stool culture to identify possible pathogens.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A stool culture should be obtained to determine the possible presence of microorganisms that cause diarrhea. Patients should generally avoid raw fruit when having diarrhea. There is no need to avoid animal protein or increase the height of the patients bed.
A nurse would identify that a colleague needs additional instruction on standard precautions when the colleague exhibits which of the following behaviors?
- A. The nurse wears face protection, gloves, and a gown when irrigating a wound.
- B. The nurse washes the hands with a waterless antiseptic agent after removing a pair of soiled gloves.
- C. The nurse puts on a second pair of gloves over soiled gloves while performing a bloody procedure.
- D. The nurse places a used needle and syringe in the puncture-resistant container without capping the needle.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Gloves must be changed after contact with materials that may contain high concentration of microorganisms, even when working with the same patient. Each of the other listed actions adheres to standard precautions.
The nurses plan of care for a patient with stage 3 HIV addresses the diagnosis of Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity Related to Candidiasis. What nursing intervention best addresses this risk?
- A. Providing thorough oral care before and after meals
- B. Administering prophylactic antibiotics
- C. Promoting nutrition and adequate fluid intake
- D. Applying skin emollients as needed
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Thorough mouth care has the potential to prevent or limit the severity of this infection. Antibiotics are irrelevant because of the fungal etiology. The patient requires adequate food and fluids, but these do not necessarily prevent candidiasis. Skin emollients are not appropriate because candidiasis is usually oral.
A patient with a recent diagnosis of HIV infection expresses an interest in exploring alternative and complementary therapies. How should the nurse best respond?
- A. Complementary therapies generally have not been approved, so patients are usually discouraged from using them.
- B. Researchers have not looked at the benefits of alternative therapy for patients with HIV, so we suggest that you stay away from these therapies until there is solid research data available.
- C. Many patients with HIV use some type of alternative therapy and, as with most health treatments, there are benefits and risks.
- D. Youll need to meet with your doctor to choose between an alternative approach to treatment and a medical approach.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should approach the topic of alternative or complementary therapies from an open-ended, supportive approach, emphasizing the need to communicate with care providers. Complementary therapies and medical treatment are not mutually exclusive, though some contraindications exist. Research supports the efficacy of some forms of complementary and alternative treatment.
A 16-year-old has come to the clinic and asks to talk to a nurse. The nurse asks the teen what she needs and the teen responds that she has become sexually active and is concerned about getting HIV. The teen asks the nurse what she can do keep from getting HIV. What would be the nurses best response?
- A. Theres no way to be sure you wont get HIV except to use condoms correctly.
- B. Only the correct use of a female condom protects against the transmission of HIV.
- C. There are new ways of protecting yourself from HIV that are being discovered every day.
- D. Other than abstinence, only the consistent and correct use of condoms is effective in preventing HIV.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Other than abstinence, consistent and correct use of condoms is the only effective method to decrease the risk of sexual transmission of HIV infection. Both female and male condoms confer significant protection. New prevention techniques are not commonly discovered, though advances in treatment are constant.
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