Lines of Defense & Immunity
A newborn who has immunity through IgG from the mother demonstrates what type of acquired immunity?
What is natural passive immunity?
Which chemical mediator causes both vasodilation and increased vascular permeability during inflammation?
What is histamine?
A patient develops pneumonia after influenza. What type of infection is this?
Secondary infection
Which immunoglobulin is directly responsible for immediate hypersensitivity reactions such as asthma or anaphylaxis?
What is IgE?
Why should patients complete their full course of antibiotics even if symptoms improve?
To prevent resistant organisms from surviving and causing relapse.
- prevent abx resistance
HIV progression is monitored by measuring the decline of this specific cell type.
What are CD4 T helper cells?
A patient’s leg wound healed but left a raised, thick scar. What type of tissue response is this?
Hypertrophic scar or keloid formation (excess collagen deposition)
Name one factor that increases a host’s susceptibility to infection.
Age, malnutrition, stress, immunodeficiency, pregnancy, chronic disease
A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents with kidney dysfunction. Which hypersensitivity type best explains the pathology?
What is Type III (immune complex mediated)?
Explain why epinephrine is the drug of choice in anaphylaxis.
What is it causes bronchodilation, vasoconstriction, and raises blood pressure by reversing histamine effects?
A patient receives the MMR vaccine and develops lifelong protection. Which type of immunity is this, and what immunoglobulin provides the lasting response?
What is artificial active immunity, IgG?
Name one nursing intervention to help reduce edema in an inflamed area.
What is elevating the limb, applying cold, or administering anti-inflammatory medications?
This organism is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in adults.
What is Streptococcus pneumoniae?
Which type of hypersensitivity is involved in a positive TB skin test?
What is Type IV hypersensitivity?
A patient develops hives and shortness of breath after a penicillin injection. What is the nurse’s first action? What is the first line drug?
What is stop the medication and assess airway/breathing? Epinephrine
A patient’s labs show an elevated neutrophil count. What does this indicate about the type and timing of infection?
What is an acute bacterial infection?
A patient presents with redness and pain after sun exposure. The epidermis is damaged but there is no blistering. Which classification of burn is this?
First-degree (superficial)
Describe the local signs of an infection
inflammation, pain or tenderness, swelling, redness, warmth, purulent exudate, pus, clear exudate.
In rheumatoid arthritis, joint damage occurs due to deposition of these immune structures.
What are immune complexes (Type III hypersensitivity)?
A client is diagnosed with a gram-negative bacterial infection. Because these organisms have an outer membrane that makes them harder to treat, the nurse should anticipate this action in the plan of care.
What is administering/anticipating broad-spectrum or combination antibiotics?
Why do full-thickness burns require skin grafts for healing?
All skin layers destroyed → no epithelial cells left to regenerate.
A patient was diagnosed with strep throat. They report that they started feeling "tired and achy" two days ago, but today they have a fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.
Which stage of infection were they in two days ago, and which stage are they in now?
Two days ago → Prodromal stage; Now → Acute stage
A client recently returned from a trip and reports episodes of severe shaking, followed by high fever, and then drenching sweats that occur every 48 hours. The nurse recognizes this pattern as characteristic of this infection.
What is malaria?
A 40-year-old man with HIV presents with persistent fever, chronic diarrhea, and oral thrush. Lab results show a CD4 count of 180 cells/µL.
Which stage of HIV infection is he in, what is the main immunological defect, and what complication is he most at risk for?
A. Acute HIV → Overproduction of CD8 T-cells → Autoimmunity
B. AIDS → Loss of CD4 T helper cells → Opportunistic infections
C. Chronic HIV latency → Virus dormant → No risk of disease
D. HIV seroconversion → Antibody negative → No transmission risk
B. AIDS → Loss of CD4 T helper cells → Opportunistic infections
Before starting broad-spectrum antibiotics, what diagnostic step should be performed?
What is obtain culture and sensitivity testing?