Sherpath - Nursing Care for Infection & HIV Flashcards
(20 cards)
Which rationale would the nurse give the client diagnosed with HIV as the reason for taking more than one antiretroviral medication?
a. Together they will cure HIV
b. Viral replication will be inhibited
c. They will decrease CD4 + T cell counts.
d. It will prevent interaction with other medications.
b. Viral replication will be inhibited
Which measure would the nurse prioritize in response to an increase in hospital care-associated infections?
a. Use of gloves during client contact
b. Frequent and thorough hand washing
c. Prophylactic, broad-spectrum antibiotics
d. Fitting and appropriate use of N95 masks.
b. Frequent and thorough hand washing
Which care would the nurse receive first after reporting a needlestick injury from a client living with HIV
a. PPE
b. Combination antiretroviral therapy
c. Counseling to report blood exposures
d. A negative evaluation by the manager
b. Combination antiretroviral therapy
For which type of clients would the nruse use standard precautions when providing care?
a. All clients regardless of diagnosis
b. Pediatric and gerontological clients
c. Clients who are immunocompromised
d. Clients with a history of infectious diseases
a. All clients regardless of diagnosis
Which adverse effects of long-term antiretroviral therapy would the nurse instruct the client to monitor?
a. Lipodystrophy
b. Nausea
c. Vomiting
d. Diarrhea
a. Lipodystrophy
Long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV is life-saving, but it can also come with a side effect that’s less “mild discomfort” and more “surprise body reshaping.” Enter lipodystrophy: abnormal redistribution of fat in the body.
What does it look like?
• Fat loss (lipoatrophy): Sunken cheeks, thin limbs, booty vanishes like your social life during finals.
• Fat accumulation (lipohypertrophy): Buffalo hump, abdominal fat, breast enlargement. Very fashion-forward in all the wrong ways.
Why it matters:
It’s not just cosmetic — lipodystrophy can lead to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and all the metabolic chaos you didn’t invite to the ART party.
Which early manifestation would the nurse monitor to detect an infection in an older adult client living in a long-term care facility?
a. High fever
b. Pain in the legs
c. Cognitive changes
d. Altered laboratory values
c. Cognitive changes
In elderly patients, especially in long-term care settings, infection doesn’t always come in screaming with a high fever or a dramatic WBC count. Instead, the body might say:
“Hey… I think I’m sick, but instead of a fever, I’m going to suddenly forget where I am and start yelling at the wall.”
Why?
• Immune response is weaker in older adults, so they may not mount a strong fever.
• Cognitive changes like confusion, disorientation, or new-onset agitation often show up first — especially with UTIs, pneumonia, or sepsis.
• This can look like early dementia or “just having a bad day” but is actually the brain’s panicked version of “HELP, INFLAMMATION IS HAPPENING.”
Which method of transmission would the nurse inform client about how the AIDs virus can be spread?
a. Shaking hands
b. Sharing a toilet seat
c. Eating from the same utensils
d. Having unprotected sex
d. Having unprotected sex
Which explanation would the nurse understand for teaching health promotion activities to a client infected with HIV
a. Delaying disease progression
b. Preventing disease transmission
c. Helping to cure the HIV infection
d. Enabling an increase in self-care activities
a. Delaying disease progression
Which statement about the HIV infection does the nurse understand is true?
a. HIV is able to replicate outside a living cell
b. The virus replicates going from DNA to RNA
c. Infection of monocytes may occur, but antibodies quickly destroy these cells
d. The immune system is impaired predominantly by the eventual widespread destruction of CD4+ T cells.
d. The immune system is impaired predominantly by the eventual widespread destruction of CD4+ T cells.
Which PPE would the nurse wear to prevent the spread of infection when disconnecting an intravenous (IV) fluid tubing from the IV access port ?
a. A cap
b. An isolation gown
c. Shoe covers
d. Gloves
d. Gloves
Gloves are the correct answer because you’re dealing with potential contact with blood or other body fluids when disconnecting IV tubing. It’s about protecting both the patient and yourself from contamination or infection.
The other options? Stylish, perhaps, but unnecessary here:
• Cap: Good for surgery, not for IVs.
• Isolation gown: Overkill unless the patient is on contact precautions.
• Shoe covers: Unless you’re moonwalking through a biohazard zone, hard pass.
What assessment finding indicates an acute exacerbation of HIV?
a. A new onset of polycythemia
b. Presence of mononucleosis like symptoms
c. A sharp decrease in the clients CD4* count
d. A sudden increase in the client’s WBC count.
c. A sharp decrease in the clients CD4* count
Which precautions would the nurse use to prevent the transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
a. Droplet precautions
b. Contact precautions
c. Airborne precautions
d. Standard precautions
b. Contact precautions
⸻
- Contact Precautions (a.k.a. “Don’t Touch That”)
Use: gown & gloves
Examples:
• VRE
• MRSA
• C. difficile (plus handwashing with soap — no alcohol gel for this one!)
• Scabies
• Draining wounds or infected pressure ulcers
⸻
- Droplet Precautions (a.k.a. “Keep Your Flu to Yourself”)
Use: surgical mask
Examples:
• Influenza
• Pertussis
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Meningitis (bacterial)
⸻
- Airborne Precautions (a.k.a. “Floaty Germs of Doom”)
Use: N95 respirator, negative pressure room
Examples:
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Measles
• Varicella (chickenpox)
⸻
- Standard Precautions (a.k.a. “Minimum effort to not spread disease”)
Use: for every patient
Examples:
• All bodily fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes
Which criteria would confirm a diagnosis of AIDS in a client living with the HIV virus?
a. The client’s CD4+ T cell count is below 200/uL
b. The client has flu-like symptoms
c. Lipodystrophy with a metabolic abnormalities i present.
d. Elevated platelet and WBC counts are present.
a. The client’s CD4+ T cell count is below 200/uL
Which response by the nurse is correct when a client asks, “I have heard about opportunistic diseases in HIV-infected people, but what does that mean?”
a. “These diseases are usually benign.”
b. “opportunistic diseases only occur at the end-stages of HIV infection.”
c. “Unfortunately, opportunistic diseases are not treatable if they occur.”
d. “These are caused by organisms that do not cause severe disease in those with functioning immune systems.”
d. “These are caused by organisms that do not cause severe disease in those with functioning immune systems.”
Which intervention would the nurse understand would be implemented first for a client receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) who has developed lipodystrophy, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and bone disease?
a. Suggest dietary changes to lower lipid levels
b. Promote weight loss through exercise.
c. Advocate use of calcium supplements.
d. Change antiretroviral medications.
d. Change antiretroviral medications.
Which statement by the client with a new antibiotic prescription indicates a need for further teaching?
a. “I will not skip doses of the antibiotic”
b. “I will take the medicine until it is finished.”
c. “I will stop taking the antibiotic when symptoms are better.”
d. “I will not share this antibiotic with other members of my family.”
c. “I will stop taking the antibiotic when symptoms are better.”
Which opportunistic infection is the client likely experiencing when the nurse finds whitish yellow patiches in the mouth, GI tract, and esophagus during the assessment of a client living with HIV?
a. Candida albicans
b. Coccidioides Immitis
c. Cryptosporidium muris
d. Cryptococcus neoformans
a. Candida albicans
Which common symptoms would the nurse assess in a client with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)?
a. Tremors and bradykinesia
b. Hematuria and abdominal pain
c. Persistent vomiting and headache
d. Low-grade fever and night swearts
d. Low-grade fever and night swearts
Which explanation would the nurse provide to a client who does not want their child to receive any extra immunizations for diseases that no longer occur?
a. There is currently no need for those older vaccines.
b. There is a re-emergence of some of the infections, such as pertussis.
c. There is no longer an immunization available for some of those diseases.
d. The only way to protect your child is to have the federally required vaccines.
b. There is a re-emergence of some of the infections, such as pertussis.
Which statement made by the client would indicate the need for further teaching regarding the transmission of HIV to others?
a. “I will need to isolate any tissues I use so as not to infect my family.”
b. “I will notify all of my sexual partners so they can get tested for HIV.”
c. “Unprotected sexual contact is the most common mode of transmission.”
d. “I do not need to worry about spreading this virus to others by sweating at the gym.”
a. “I will need to isolate any tissues I use so as not to infect my family.
