Nursing Management: Patients With Sexually Transmitted Infections

The nurse is providing education to a client who has been diagnosed with chlamydia. The client will begin treatment with azithromycin today. Which teaching point should the nurse reinforce with this client?

"Abstain from any sexual activity for 1 week after the antibiotic is complete."

A 28-year-old sexually active male presented to a clinic because he was concerned about a round, painless sore on the shaft of his penis that had appeared 2 days prior to his visit. The nurse practitioner recognized the lesion as a "chancre," an indicator of primary syphilis. The nurse should tell the patient:

"An antibiotic injection is the best treatment since the lesion has just occurred."

A nurse is teaching personal hygiene care techniques to a client with genital herpes. Which statement by the client indicates the teaching has been effective?

"I will wear loose cotton underwear."

A client with genital warts is receiving treatment with a local application of trichloroacetic acid. Which client statement indicates adequate understanding of the procedure?

"I'm temporarily not contagious once the warts are destroyed."

The nurse is seeing a client who came into the sexual health clinic after discovering condylomata along her labia. The client states, "This makes no sense, I don't even know who I got this from and I have been so careful!" What is the nurse's best response?

"It sounds like you are feeling angry. Let's talk more about human papillomavirus (HPV) and strategies to stay healthy while you are being treated."

The nurse is talking to a client who has come to the doctor's office to ensure that the client's sexually transmitted infection (STI) has been successfully treated. Which statement by the client requires further instruction?

"It's great that I don't have to worry about having this infection again because I'm now immune to it."

An adolescent informs the school nurse that she is afraid of contracting an STI but her boyfriend does not want to use condoms. What is the best response by the nurse?

"The use of condoms is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of acquiring an STI."

The nurse is providing education to a client who has been diagnosed with trichomoniasis. When providing information about metronidazole, what should the nurse be certain to include?

"You will need to avoid alcohol during treatment and for 3 days after the medication is complete."

The nurse educator is planning a health promotion class with a focus on sexually transmitted infections. What points regarding risk factors for chlamydia and gonorrhea should the nurse educator include? Select all that apply.

"Your chances of contracting these infections are higher the more sexual partners you have." "Young adults and teenagers are a high risk age group for both these infections."

A nurse is caring for the following clients who have a history of genital herpes infection. Which client is most at risk for an outbreak of genital herpes?

A client who complains of genital pruritus and paresthesia

A client has been admitted with primary syphilis. Which signs or symptoms should the nurse expect to see with this diagnosis?

A painless genital ulcer that appeared about 3 weeks after unprotected sex

A nurse is developing a plan of care for a female client experiencing her first outbreak of genital herpes. Which nursing diagnosis would the nurse most likely identify as the priority?

Acute pain related to the development of the genital lesions

A patient with genital herpes is having an acute exacerbation. What medication would the nurse expect to be ordered to suppress the symptoms and shorten the course of the infection?

Acyclovir (Zovirax)

The nurse educator is teaching a group of young adult women about sexually transmitted infections. The nurse explains that which infection is most likely to be "silent" with no overt symptoms in women?

Chlamydia

The nurse is caring for a group of clients at a public health clinic. Which sexually transmitted disease would the nurse focus the client education on curative goals?

Chlamydia

When preparing a teaching presentation regarding reproductive health in women, which points should the nurse include when discussing the prevention of bacterial vaginosis? Select all that apply.

Choose clothing options that are loose around the genital area If you smoke, try to quit Keep the frequency of your sexual activity balanced Prevent unprotected sexual encounters

A female client recently diagnosed with chlamydia comes to the clinic for a check-up. During the visit, the client says, "I had no idea I had chlamydia. I didn't have any symptoms." The nurse would incorporate knowledge of which information when responding to the client?

Clients with chlamydia frequently are asymptomatic.

Patients who have had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are prone to which of the following complications?

Ectopic pregnancy

The nurse is caring for a client who appears to have some type of sexually transmitted infection. The nurse will observe which signs or symptoms if the client has secondary stage syphilis? Select all that apply.

Fever Lymph node enlargement Headache

The nurse is assessing a client in the emergency department who grimaces and reports swelling of the testicles, burning on urination and a green discharge from the penis. The nurse suspects the client will be diagnosed with which infection?

Gonorrhea

A nurse provided health teaching to a patient with a STI. The nurse advised her patient that transmission of the organism was by three routes: sexual, percutaneous, and perinatal. Choose the STI that was diagnosed.

Herpes simplex

Which of the following sexually transmitted infections (STIs) could be transmitted perinatally?

Herpes simplex

A client who has developed a painless penile ulcer is diagnosed with syphilis. What treatment would physician prescribe?

IV penicillin G; single dose

A nurse practitioner was preparing a health education program for freshmen college students. During orientation week, the nurse mentioned that C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae are the two most common infections in sexually active young women under the age of 25. The nurse told the students that the most common finding for these infections is:

Mucopurulent cervicitis.

Symptoms of pelvic infection usually begin with which of the following?

Pain

Which of the following is the medication of choice for early syphilis?

Penicillin G benzathine

The nurse has received several laboratory studies back at the clinic. Which of these results should be reported to the local health department?

Positive gonorrhea

A patient comes to the clinic with complaints of a painless sore on her lip 2 weeks after she had oral sex with her boyfriend. The nurse observes a chancre on the lips and the physician orders testing for syphilis. If results are positive, what is the likely stage the patient is in?

Primary

A young male patient of a free clinic has been diagnosed with gonorrhea and has begun treatment. The nurse at the clinic is providing the man with relevant health education and has emphasized the importance of using condoms. The man replies, "I can't stand using condoms because I can't feel anything if I use one. I'll have to think about that." The nurse should consequently identify which of the following nursing diagnoses?

Risk for infection transmission related to lack of STI prevention measures

Pelvic infection is most commonly caused by which of the following?

Sexual transmission

To confirm a diagnosis of syphilis, the nurse would identify the gram-negative bacteria, Treponema palladium, on the laboratory report. The nurse knows that this bacteria is classified among:

Spirochetes

A nurse practitioner is conducting an assessment of a 29-year-old woman who has presented for care because she has just had a positive over-the-counter pregnancy test. The woman's medical history is significant for the presence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that was the result of a chlamydial infection. What discussion should the nurse prioritize with this patient?

Teaching the patient about the signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy

The nurse is assessing a client who reports stiff joints and alopecia. While taking the client's health history, the client reports having multiple sexual partners in the past 6 months and finding a lesion on her labia about 1 month before today's appointment. What should the nurse anticipate based on the signs and symptoms presented?

The client will require treatment for the secondary stage of syphilis.

The school health nurse is conducting a teaching session for parents to provide information about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. What prevention information should the nurse include in the session?

The effect of the vaccination is optimized if it is administered before the child becomes sexually active.

A female patient tells the nurse that she thinks she has a vaginal infection because she has noted inflammation of her vulva and a yellow-green discharge. The nurse recognizes that the clinical manifestations described are typical of what vaginal infections?

Trichomonas vaginalis

A client is suspected of having secondary syphilis. Which test would the nurse anticipate being used to confirm the diagnosis? Select all that apply.

VDRL RPR-CT

A nurse is preparing a presentation about STIs for a local community group. When describing chlamydia, which age group would the nurse identify as being at greatest risk for this infection?

Women younger than 24 years of age

How often should women diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV) have Pap smears?

Yearly

Health care provider from a variety of disciplines in a community have noted a significant increase in cases of Chlamydia trachomatis. When planning health promotion and disease prevention interventions to combat this trend, nurses should recognize that the group at greatest risk of developing C. trachomatis infection is:

Young women under the age of 25

After a routine physical exam, a female client is devastated to receive a diagnosis of the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea. What would contribute to the client's ignorance of this condition?

being asymptomatic

Which manifestation would most likely be identified when assessing a client with primary syphilis?

chancre

A client is being tested for gonorrhea. Based on the nurse's understanding of this STI, the nurse would anticipate that the client will also be tested for:

chlamydia

The nurse is presenting a community lecture about STIs, and emphasizes that some STIs are easily cured with early and adequate treatment. Which is not among these easily treated diseases?

genital herpes

Which statement holds true? Untreated genital warts:

may resolve on their own, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number.

A nurse practitioner is treating a client with early latent syphilis of less than 1 year's duration. The nurse told the client about the need to receive penicillin G benzathine injections according to the following protocol:

one injection.

Which medication would the nurse anticipate being prescribed for a client diagnosed with syphilis who is allergic to penicillin?

tetracycline

The nurse is seeing a client for a follow up appointment in the sexual health clinic. The nurse recognizes the client continues to have a knowledge deficit regarding safe sexual practices when the client makes which statement?

"Using oil to lubricate the condom has helped to increase comfort for me during sexual intercourse."

The nurse explained the difference between the herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2). One characteristic of HSV-1 is that it:

Affects the mouth and lips.

A nursing midwife delivered a baby whose mother had a sexually transmitted disease. The nurse knows that of the six sexually transmitted diseases, only two can be transmitted via the perinatal route. What are those two diseases?

Herpes simplex and syphilis

A gynecologist told a patient that she had Chlamydia. The nurse expected the health care provider to prescribe a single dose of which of the following medications?

Zithromax

A patient has a concentration of Staphylococcus aureus located on his skin. The patient is not showing signs of increased temperature, redness, or pain at the site. The nurse is aware that this is a sign of a microorganism at which of the following stages?

Colonization

The nurse is caring for a client with genital herpes experiencing a reoccurrence. Which nursing diagnosis would be the priority?

Impaired Skin Integrity

Which of the following is the most effective treatment for trichomoniasis?

Metronidazole (Flagyl)

A 22-year-old woman is scheduled to begin radiotherapy for the treatment of invasive cervical cancer. The nurse should be aware that there is a high likelihood that the woman has a history of what sexually transmitted infection?

Mode of exit

A patient has been admitted to a medical unit with respiratory symptoms that are characteristic of tuberculosis. When transporting the patient to radiology for a chest x-ray, the nurse has applied a mask that covers the patient's nose and mouth. This action addresses which component of the chain of infection?

Mode of exit