Nutrition HESI Practice Exam Related

Review Nutrition HESI Practice Exam related questions and content

Which of these clients with associated lab reports is a priority for the nurse to report to the public health department within the next 24 hours?

  • A. An infant with a positive stool culture for Shigella
  • B. An elderly factory worker with a positive lab report for acid-fast bacillus smear
  • C. A young adult commercial pilot with a positive histopathological examination for Pneumocystis carinii from an induced sputum
  • D. A middle-aged nurse with a history of varicella-zoster virus and crops of vesicles on an erythematous base appearing on the skin
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because a positive acid-fast bacillus smear in an elderly factory worker suggests tuberculosis, a serious communicable disease that must be reported promptly to the public health department to prevent its spread. Choice A is incorrect as Shigella is an important pathogen, but it does not require immediate public health reporting. Choice C is incorrect because Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic pathogen and does not require urgent public health reporting. Choice D is incorrect as varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox and shingles, both of which are not reportable diseases to the public health department.