13 - Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Flashcards
A nurse is presenting information to the county health department about potential bioterrorism threats. Which of the following agents would the nurse discuss in this presentation?
a. ) Smallpox
b. ) West Nile Virus
c. ) Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
d. ) Novel influenza A (H1N1)
a.) Smallpox
Susceptibility to smallpox is 100% in the unvaccinated and fatality rate is estimated at 20- 40% or higher. The agents of highest concern are anthrax, plague, smallpox, botulism, tularemia, and selected hemorrhagic viruses. West Nile Virus, SARS, and H1N1 are not viruses that would be used for bioterrorism.
Which elements of surveillance does a nurse use? (Select all that apply.)
a. ) Mortality registration
b. ) Epidemic field investigation
c. ) Laboratory reporting
d. ) Individual case investigation
e. ) Application of research
a.) Mortality registration
b.) Epidemic field investigation
c.) Laboratory reporting
d.) Individual case investigation
There are 10 basic elements of surveillance. Mortality registration, epidemic field investigation, laboratory reporting, and individual case investigation are among them. Application of research is not part of the 10 basic elements of surveillance.
The time interval between invasion by an infectious agent and the first appearance of signs and symptoms of the disease is called:
a. ) communicable period.
b. ) incubation period.
c. ) infectiousness.
d. ) endemic.
b.) incubation period.
The incubation period is the time interval between invasion by an infectious agent and the first appearance of signs and symptoms. The communicable period is the interval during which an infectious agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person. Infectiousness is the measure of the potential ability of an infected host to transmit the infection to other hosts. Endemic refers to the constant presence of a disease within a geographic area or a population.
One case of smallpox occurs in a population in which it was considered to be previously eliminated. Which of the following best describes what has occurred?
a. ) Endemic
b. ) Epidemic
c. ) Pandemic
d. ) Infectivity
b.) Epidemic
The occurrence of one case of smallpox in a population in which it was considered to be previously eliminated is an epidemic.
Endemic refers to the constant presence of a disease within a geographic area or population.
Pandemic refers to an epidemic occurring worldwide and affecting large populations.
Infectivity is the ability to enter and multiply in the host.
A community health nurse investigates an outbreak of pinworm at a local day care center. In order to minimize the spread of infection, which of the following suggestions would the nurse provide to the day care workers?
a. ) Close the day care until all surfaces are cleaned.
b. ) No action is necessary because it is easily treated with oral vermicides.
c. ) Using good hand washing is important to prevent the transmission.
d. ) Every child in the day care should be treated because they all are probably infected.
c.) Using good hand washing is important to prevent the transmission.
Transmission of pinworm occurs through the fecal-oral route, so good hand washing after toileting is essential. It is not necessary to treat all children or close the day care. It is necessary that action be taken, as without any action being taken, the pinworm outbreak will continue.
A nurse is working in a health department when a patient arrives who has been traveling to South America and has been diagnosed with malaria. Which of the following considerations should be made by the nurse?
a. ) The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report should be consulted to investigate the rate of malaria in the United States.
b. ) This is a disease that must be reported to the state health department.
c. ) The nurse should take precautions to wear a mask and gown to avoid exposure.
d. ) The patient is very ill and should be sent to the hospital immediately.
b.) This is a disease that must be reported to the state health department.
Malaria is on the list of infectious diseases notifiable at the national level. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published weekly with the rates of disease; however, this would not be the first consideration by the nurse. Malaria is not spread by direct contact, rather from a bite from an infected mosquito. Malaria begins with flu-like symptoms, or the client may have very few symptoms.
A nurse is caring for a client who has been diagnosed with West Nile Virus. Which of the following types of illness does the client have?
a. ) Food-borne
b. ) Vector-borne
c. ) Water-borne
d. ) Zoonoses
b.) Vector-borne
West Nile virus is carried by a mosquito, which is a vector. Food-borne illnesses are carried by food. Water-borne illnesses are transmitted through water. Zoonoses are infections that are transmitted from vertebrate animal to a human under natural conditions.
A nurse is investigating the role of the agent in the cause of an illness. Which of the following best describes what the nurse is examining?
a. ) Host resilience
b. ) Virus
c. ) Infectiousness
d. ) Bug bite
b.) Virus
An agent is described by its ability to cause disease and the nature and the severity of the disease. The four major categories of agents are: (1) bacteria, (2) parasites, (3) fungi, and (4) viruses. Host resilience is a host factor. Infectiousness is the measure of the potential ability of an infected host to transmit the infection to other hosts. Environmental factors facilitate the transmission of an infectious agent from an infected host to other susceptible hosts, such as a bug bite.
A nurse is teaching members of the community about vertical transmission of a disease. Which of the following would the nurse most likely discuss?
a. ) Transmission through breast milk
b. ) Transmission through sexual contact
c. ) Transmission from mosquito bites
d. ) Transmission through contaminated food
a.) Transmission through breast milk
Vertical transmission is the passing of infection from parent to offspring via sperm, placenta, milk, or contact in the vaginal canal at birth. Transmission through sexual contact is horizontal transmission. Transmission from mosquito bites is vector transmission. Transmission from contaminated food is common vehicle transmission.
A nurse promotes the use of universal precautions by all health care workers. Which of the following best describes the action that was taken by the nurse?
a. ) Primary prevention
b. ) Secondary prevention
c. ) Tertiary prevention
d. ) Health care-associated infection
a.) Primary prevention
Primary prevention refers to those interventions aimed at preventing the occurrence of disease, injury, or disability. Secondary prevention seeks to prevent the spread of infection and/or disease once it occurs. Tertiary prevention reduces complications through treatment and rehabilitation. Health care-associated infections are prevented through the use of good hand washing.
A nurse is providing information to a local newspaper about the presence of infectious diseases in the United States. Which of the following statements by the nurse is accurate?
a. ) “It is the goal of the WHO to prevent the transmission of the plague by avoiding direct contact with inflicted individuals.”
b. ) “Rabies is easily spread by contact with animals.”
c. ) “The United States is a certified polio free country.”
d. ) “The onset of tularemia is characterized by a distinct skin lesion often called a bull’s-eye lesion.”
c.) “The United States is a certified polio free country.”
The Americas are certified polio free. The plague is a vector-borne disease and cannot be spread by direct contact with inflicted individuals. Rabies is a rare event because of the widespread vaccination of dogs in the 1950s. The Americas were certified as polio free in 1994. The onset of Lyme’s disease is characterized by a bull’s-eye lesion.
A community health nurse is caring for a client with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Which of the following should the nurse be aware of?
a. ) Persons with MRSA usually have a chronic illness.
b. ) MRSA is a hospital-acquired infection and not often seen in the community.
c. ) Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRE) follows MRSA.
d. ) MRSA is becoming more common in the community.
d.) MRSA is becoming more common in the community.
MRSA is being seen more and more in the community with outbreaks frequently associated with school athletic programs and prison populations. MRSA is still largely a health care- associated infection, but it is becoming more common. VRE was found before MRSA. MRSA is not associated with chronic illness.
The nurse provides footwear and gloves to leprosy clients to prevent trauma to their insensitive and deformed hands and feet. Which of the following best describes the intervention used by the nurse?
a. ) Primary level of prevention
b. ) Secondary level of prevention
c. ) Tertiary level of prevention
d. ) Primary health care
c.) Tertiary level of prevention
Tertiary prevention reduces complications through treatment and rehabilitation. Primary prevention seeks to reduce the incidence of disease by preventing occurrence. Secondary prevention seeks to prevent the spread of infection and/or disease once it occurs. Primary health care is considered to be the essential health care services provided by physicians and other health care providers.
The ability of an agent to produce a severe pathologic reaction is known as:
a. ) antigenicity.
b. ) invasiveness.
c. ) toxicity.
d. ) virulence.
d.) virulence.
The ability of an agent to produce a severe pathologic reaction is known as virulence. Antigenicity is the ability to stimulate an immunological response. Invasiveness is the ability to penetrate and spread throughout a tissue. Toxicity is the ability to produce a poisonous reaction.
The most common vector-borne disease in the United States is:
a. ) malaria.
b. ) yellow fever.
c. ) Lyme disease.
d. ) Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
c.) Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with over 30,000 confirmed cases and probable cases reported to CDC in 2012. Yellow fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are both vector-borne diseases, but are not the most common. Malaria is most prevalent vector-borne disease worldwide.
