Chapter 37: Assessment and Management of Patients With Allergic

The nurse tells the client that if exposure to an allergen occurs around 8:00 AM, then the client should expect a mild or moderate reaction by what time?

10:00 AM

A client calls the clinic and asks the nurse if using oxymetazoline nasal spray would be alright to relieve the nasal congestion he is experiencing due to seasonal allergies. What instructions should the nurse provide to the client to avoid complications?

Do not overuse the medication as rebound congestion can occur.

Which test indicates the quantity of allergen necessary to evoke an allergic reaction?

Serum-specific IgE test

When assessing the skin of a client with allergic contact dermatitis, the nurse would most likely expect to find irritation at which area?

dorsal aspect of the hand

A client develops a facial rash and urticaria after receiving penicillin. Which laboratory value does the nurse expect to be elevated?

IgE

After receiving a dose of penicillin, a client develops dyspnea and hypotension and the nurse suspects the client is experiencing anaphylactic shock. What is the nurse's first action?

Administer epinephrine, as ordered.

The nurse is evaluating a client's readiness for allergy skin testing. The nurse determines that the testing will need to be postponed when it is revealed that the client took which classification of medication the night before?

Antihistamine

A client with a history of allergic rhinitis comes to the clinic for an evaluation. The client is prescribed triamcinolone. What will the nurse include when teaching the client about this drug?

Be aware that some nasal burning and itching may occur.

A nurse is preparing a teaching plan about exposure control for a client with an allergic disorder. Which item would the nurse exclude from the teaching plan?

Dusting the room at least weekly

A patient is experiencing an allergic reaction to a dose of penicillin. What should the nurse look for in the patient's initial assessment?

Dyspnea, bronchospasm, and/or laryngeal edema.

A client with lupus has had antineoplastic drugs prescribed. Why would the physician prescribe antineoplastic drugs for an autoimmune disorder?

For their immunosuppressant effects

The nurse is evaluating a client's complete blood cell count and differential along with the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration. Which result might indicate that the client has an allergic disorder?

High IgE concentration

After teaching a client how to self-administer epinephrine, the nurse determines that the teaching plan has been successful when the client demonstrates which action?

Jabs the autoinjector into the outer thigh at a 90-degree angle

A client has been having joint pain and swelling in the left foot and is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The symptoms began suddenly without any identifiable cause, and the client has significant joint destruction. What type of disease is this considered?

autoimmune

A client visits the employee health department because of mild itching and a rash on both hands. What will the employee health nurse focus on during the assessment interview?

chemical and latex glove use

While interviewing a client with an allergic disorder, the client tells the nurse about an allergy to animal dander. The nurse knows that animal dander is what type of substance?

complete protien antigen

A client reports to a health care provider's office for intradermal allergy testing. Before testing, the nurse provides client teaching. Which client statement indicates a need for further education?

"If I notice tingling in my lips or mouth, gargling may help the symptoms."

The client presents to the emergency department with a suspected allergic reaction to the antibiotic they were given at the quick care clinic to treat their pneumonia. What are the priority actions the nurse should take? Select all that apply.

- Insert an intravenous line. - Take vital signs. - Place oxygen on the client.

Which term refers to an incomplete antigen?

Hapten

Which allergic reaction is potentially life threatening?

angioedema

The nurse knows the best strategy for latex allergy is

avoidance of latex-based products.

The nurse is administering intravenous vancomycin. What will the nurse initially assess the client for if an allergic reaction occurs?

dyspnea, bronchospasm, and/or laryngeal edema

A nurse is reviewing the dietary history of a client who has experienced anaphylaxis. What would the nurse identify as a common cause of anaphylaxis? Select all that apply.

eggs, milk, and shrimp

Which body substance causes increased gastric secretion, dilation of capillaries, and constriction of the bronchial smooth muscle?

histamine

Which of the following is the most frequent route of exposure to a latex allergy?

cutaneous

The nurse working in an allergy clinic is preparing to administer skin testing to a client. Which route is the safest for the nurse to use to administer the solution?

intradermal

The nurse is working with a client with allergies. What will the nurse use to confirm allergies and decrease the risk of anaphylaxis?

intradermal testing

What is the most common cause of anaphylaxis?

penicillin

Which intervention is the single most important aspect for the client at risk for anaphylaxis?

prevention

A client has been taking a decongestant for allergic rhinitis. During a follow-up visit, which finding suggests that the decongestant has been effective?

reduced sneezing

What education should the nurse provide to the patient taking long-term corticosteroids?

The patient should not stop taking the medication abruptly and should be weaned off of the medication.

A client with an allergic disorder calls the nurse and asks what treatment is available for allergic disorders. The nurse explains to the client that there is more than one treatment available. What treatments would the nurse tell the client about?

Desensitization

A client has had a "stuffy nose" and obtained an oxymetazoline nasal spray. What education should the nurse provide to the client in order to prevent "rebound congestion"?

Only use the nasal spray for 3 to 4 days once every 12 hours.

A patient with a history of allergies comes to the clinic for an evaluation. The following laboratory test findings are recorded in a patient's medical record: Total serum IgE levels: 2.8 mg/mLWhite blood cell count: 5,100/cu mmEosinophil count: 4%Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: 20 mm/h The nurse identifies which result as suggesting an allergic reaction?

Serum IgE level

The nurse is working with a colleague who has a delayed hypersensitivity (type IV) allergic reaction to latex. Which statement describes the clinical manifestations of this reaction?

Symptoms are localized to the area of exposure, usually the back of the hands

A nurse is preparing a discharge teaching plan for a client with atopic dermatitis. Which instruction should the nurse include in the teaching plan?

Use a topical skin moisturizer daily.

A client has been seeing an allergist for 6 months for treatment of allergies. The client's allergies have been insufficiently controlled by symptomatic treatments and the physician has suggested desensitization. The anticipated outcome of desensitization is that repeated exposure to the:

weak antigen promotes the production of IgG, an antibody that blocks IgE so it cannot stimulate mast cells.