NCLEX-PN › Other Conditions
Eye lubricants are used for all but the following:
To achieve miosis during eye surgery
To replace tears or add moisture to eyes
To protect the eyes during surgery or diagnostic procedures
To moisten contact lenses or artificial eyes
Eye lubricants are not used to achieve miosis during eye surgery. Eye lubricants are frequently used to treat dry eyes in cases where tears need to be replaced, to moisten contact lenses, or to protect eyes during surgery.
Eye lubricants are used for all but the following:
To achieve miosis during eye surgery
To replace tears or add moisture to eyes
To protect the eyes during surgery or diagnostic procedures
To moisten contact lenses or artificial eyes
Eye lubricants are not used to achieve miosis during eye surgery. Eye lubricants are frequently used to treat dry eyes in cases where tears need to be replaced, to moisten contact lenses, or to protect eyes during surgery.
You are a nurse in an emergency department and a patient presents with a 5 cm by 6 cm abscess on the dorsal aspect of his left hand. The hand is very painful, but he has full range of motion, and no sensory deficits. He is afebrile and has no systemic or localized symptoms aside from the abscess. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?
Incision and drainage of the abscess
Prescribe oral antibiotics without draining the abscess
Amputate the affected hand at the wrist
Inject steroid into the abscess
Apply topical antibiotic to the abscess
The correct answer is "incision and drainage of the abscess." This is the correct answer, because an abscess, by definition, is a walled off collection of pus and bacteria, that is typically impenetrable to topical or systemic antibiotics. The only way to truly resolve an abscess is to incise and drain it, such that the walled off material can be expelled, and the pressure and pain can be relieved. Further, the material should be sent for culture so that the patient can be placed on appropriate antibiotics if the physician deems it necessary for post-drainage care.
The other choices are incorrect. Surgical amputation of the affected hand would be a drastic measure for a localized abscess that is not otherwise causing limb ischemia or necrosis. Incision and drainage is a much more reasonable first step. Injecting a steroid into the abscess would be a potentially dangerous intervention as steroids decrease the body's immune response to infection, and as such, could increase the bacterial load within the abscess, allowing it to expand and become more serious. As mentioned earlier, topical and oral antibiotics would likely be impenetrable to the abscess and would be inappropriate first steps when the option of incision and drainage exists.
The community health nurse educates a group of young boys who are learning about hiking safety. Which of the following statements made by the nurse is not effective for preventing Lyme disease?
“You can take antibiotic medications before hiking to make sure you don’t get Lyme disease.”
“You should wear insect repellant on your skin and clothes if you are in an area endemic to Lyme disease.”
“Try to cover as much of your skin as possible - long pants, long sleeves, long socks, and cover your neck and hands too.”
“After you hike in a Lyme disease-endemic area, carefully examine your skin for ticks.”
“You should be aware of where ticks infected with Lyme disease are located, particularly in the upper Midwest, New England, and the mid-Atlantic region.”
Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated for the prevention of Lyme disease. Antibiotics will be used after a tick bite when symptoms develop and an infection is suspected. The community health nurse should teach rules of prevention, including 1) knowing where Lyme disease is prevalent (New England, upper Midwest, mid-Atlantic states), 2) wearing long sleeves and long pants, covering as much skin as possible with clothing, 3) using insect repellant such as sprays over the whole body, and 4) checking for tick bites especially after exposure is anticipated, so you may receive care as quickly as possible if needed.
You are a nurse in an emergency department and a patient presents with a 5 cm by 6 cm abscess on the dorsal aspect of his left hand. The hand is very painful, but he has full range of motion, and no sensory deficits. He is afebrile and has no systemic or localized symptoms aside from the abscess. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?
Incision and drainage of the abscess
Prescribe oral antibiotics without draining the abscess
Amputate the affected hand at the wrist
Inject steroid into the abscess
Apply topical antibiotic to the abscess
The correct answer is "incision and drainage of the abscess." This is the correct answer, because an abscess, by definition, is a walled off collection of pus and bacteria, that is typically impenetrable to topical or systemic antibiotics. The only way to truly resolve an abscess is to incise and drain it, such that the walled off material can be expelled, and the pressure and pain can be relieved. Further, the material should be sent for culture so that the patient can be placed on appropriate antibiotics if the physician deems it necessary for post-drainage care.
The other choices are incorrect. Surgical amputation of the affected hand would be a drastic measure for a localized abscess that is not otherwise causing limb ischemia or necrosis. Incision and drainage is a much more reasonable first step. Injecting a steroid into the abscess would be a potentially dangerous intervention as steroids decrease the body's immune response to infection, and as such, could increase the bacterial load within the abscess, allowing it to expand and become more serious. As mentioned earlier, topical and oral antibiotics would likely be impenetrable to the abscess and would be inappropriate first steps when the option of incision and drainage exists.
The community health nurse educates a group of young boys who are learning about hiking safety. Which of the following statements made by the nurse is not effective for preventing Lyme disease?
“You can take antibiotic medications before hiking to make sure you don’t get Lyme disease.”
“You should wear insect repellant on your skin and clothes if you are in an area endemic to Lyme disease.”
“Try to cover as much of your skin as possible - long pants, long sleeves, long socks, and cover your neck and hands too.”
“After you hike in a Lyme disease-endemic area, carefully examine your skin for ticks.”
“You should be aware of where ticks infected with Lyme disease are located, particularly in the upper Midwest, New England, and the mid-Atlantic region.”
Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated for the prevention of Lyme disease. Antibiotics will be used after a tick bite when symptoms develop and an infection is suspected. The community health nurse should teach rules of prevention, including 1) knowing where Lyme disease is prevalent (New England, upper Midwest, mid-Atlantic states), 2) wearing long sleeves and long pants, covering as much skin as possible with clothing, 3) using insect repellant such as sprays over the whole body, and 4) checking for tick bites especially after exposure is anticipated, so you may receive care as quickly as possible if needed.
You are the nurse taking care of a 21-year old female who complains of two days dysuria, that over the last 24 hours has been accompanied by fever, chills, and lower back pain. Her physical exam is remarkable for right-sided costovertebral angle tenderness. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Pyelonephritis
Genital herpes
Primary syphilis
Pneumothorax
Spinal stenosis
The correct answer is "pyelonephritis." This is the correct answer because the patient's presentation with dysuria that progresses to include fever, chills, and lower back pain, is a very classic presentation of pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis is an infection of the renal parenchyma, most commonly due to an ascending urinary tract infection. In this patient, who is a female (which places her at a greater risk for UTI's as compared to males due to females having shorter urethras than males) who initially has dysuria, this is a convincing story for a UTI. Further, the fact that the symptoms of fever, chills, and lower back pain are not present initially with the dysuria, but develop over the next day, is further evidence that pyelonephritis is the likely diagnosis. The physical exam finding of unilateral costovertebral angle tenderness also is highly suggestive of pyelonephritis.
The other choices are incorrect. Spinal stenosis is not a common diagnosis in young, otherwise healthy patients, and would not account for dysuria and unilteral costovertebral angle tenderness. A pneumothorax would not cause dysuria and would likely present with shortness of breath. Primary syphilis and genital herpes would not account for dysuria, lower back pain, or costovertebral angle tenderness.
You are the nurse taking care of a 21-year old female who complains of two days dysuria, that over the last 24 hours has been accompanied by fever, chills, and lower back pain. Her physical exam is remarkable for right-sided costovertebral angle tenderness. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Pyelonephritis
Genital herpes
Primary syphilis
Pneumothorax
Spinal stenosis
The correct answer is "pyelonephritis." This is the correct answer because the patient's presentation with dysuria that progresses to include fever, chills, and lower back pain, is a very classic presentation of pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis is an infection of the renal parenchyma, most commonly due to an ascending urinary tract infection. In this patient, who is a female (which places her at a greater risk for UTI's as compared to males due to females having shorter urethras than males) who initially has dysuria, this is a convincing story for a UTI. Further, the fact that the symptoms of fever, chills, and lower back pain are not present initially with the dysuria, but develop over the next day, is further evidence that pyelonephritis is the likely diagnosis. The physical exam finding of unilateral costovertebral angle tenderness also is highly suggestive of pyelonephritis.
The other choices are incorrect. Spinal stenosis is not a common diagnosis in young, otherwise healthy patients, and would not account for dysuria and unilteral costovertebral angle tenderness. A pneumothorax would not cause dysuria and would likely present with shortness of breath. Primary syphilis and genital herpes would not account for dysuria, lower back pain, or costovertebral angle tenderness.
Which of the following bodily fluids does not transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?
Saliva
Blood
Breast milk
Vaginal secretions
Semen
HIV is easily spread through all of the listed body fluids with the exception of saliva. A person may not contract HIV through exchange of saliva during activities such as kissing or sharing eating utensils.
Which of the following bodily fluids does not transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?
Saliva
Blood
Breast milk
Vaginal secretions
Semen
HIV is easily spread through all of the listed body fluids with the exception of saliva. A person may not contract HIV through exchange of saliva during activities such as kissing or sharing eating utensils.