Chapter 13 Flashcards
When caring for a client with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), the community health nurse should know:
a. Persons with MRSA usually have a chronic illness.
b. MRSA is a hospital-acquired infection and not often seen in the community.
c. VRE (vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) follows MRSA.
d. MRSA is becoming more common in the community.
ANS: D
MRSA is being seen more and more in the community with outbreaks frequently associated with school athletic programs and prison populations.
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. Pathologic reaction
ANS: B
The incubation period is the time interval between invasion by an infectious agent and the first appearance of signs and symptoms.
The ability of an agent to produce a severe pathologic reaction is known as:
a. Antigenicity
b. Invasiveness
c. Toxicity
d. Virulence
ANS: D
The ability of an agent to produce a severe pathologic reaction is known as virulence.
Immunity is a characteristic of the:
a. Agent factor
b. Host factor
c. Environmental factor
d. Epidemiologic triad
ANS: B
Immunity refers to species-determined resistance to an infectious agent.
The nurse teaches food handlers to wash utensils after contact with raw meat. This prevention focuses on the:
a. Agent
b. Host
c. Environment
d. Food handler
ANS: C
Teaching food handlers to wash utensils after contact with raw meat is a prevention that focuses on the environment.
An example of an agent is:
a. Host resistance
b. Virus
c. Infectiousness
d. Bug bite
ANS: B
An agent is described by its ability to cause disease and the nature and the severity of the disease.
An example of a vertical transmission of a disease is through:
a. Breast milk
b. Sexual transmission
c. Mosquitoes
d. Contaminated food
ANS: A
Vertical transmission is the passing of infection from parent to offspring via sperm, placenta, milk, or contact in the vaginal canal at birth.
An example of a vector is:
a. Contaminated water
b. A tick
c. A dirty needle
d. An infected person
ANS: B
Vectors transmit the infectious agent by biting or depositing the infective material near the host.
When one case of smallpox occurs in a population in which it was considered to be previously eliminated, it is called:
a. Endemic
b. An epidemic
c. Pandemic
d. Infectivity
ANS: B
The occurrence of one case of smallpox in a population in which it was considered to be previously eliminated is an epidemic.
A nurse is providing education to a mother about the importance of having her infant immunized for measles, mumps, and rubella. This immunization will provide what type of immunity?
a. Active
b. Passive
c. Natural
d. Acquired
ANS: A
Active immunity refers to the immunization of an individual by administration of an antigen (infectious agent or vaccine) and is usually characterized by the presence of an antibody produced by the individual host.
The nurse provides footwear and gloves to leprosy clients to prevent trauma to their insensitive and deformed hands and feet. This is an example of ____ prevention.
a. A primary level of
b. A secondary level of
c. A tertiary level of
d. Primary health care
ANS: C
Tertiary prevention reduces complications through treatment and rehabilitation.
Rabies post-exposure immunization is an example of which of the following levels of prevention with regard to infectious disease interventions?
a. Primary prevention
b. Secondary prevention
c. Tertiary prevention
d. Assessment
ANS: B
Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and prompt treatment of disease, injury, or disability.
Requirements for disease reporting in the United States are mandated by:
a. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
b. Federal laws
c. State laws and regulations
d. The World Health Organization (WHO)
ANS: C
Requirements for disease reporting in the United States are mandated by state laws and regulations.
A nurse is providing information to a local newspaper about the presence of infectious diseases in the United States. Which statement by the nurse is accurate?
a. “It is the goal of the World Health Organization to prevent the transmission of the plague by avoiding direct contact with inflicted individuals.”
b. “Rabies is easily spread by contact with animals.”
c. “Polio has been eliminated in the United States since 1994.”
d. “The onset of tularemia is characterized by a distinct skin lesion often called a bull’s-eye lesion.”
ANS: C
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.
Which situation describes the role of a nurse being involved in surveillance?
a. Educating clients about influenza immunizations
b. Collecting information about occurrence of measles
c. Evaluating the effectiveness of a HIV/AIDS prevention program
d. Advocating for changes in the national disease reporting requirements
ANS: B
Nurses are frequently involved in surveillance by collecting data, making diagnoses, investigating and reporting cases, and providing information to the general public.
