Adult Health Ch. 37
A client with allergic rhinitis is prescribed a mast cell stabilizer. Which would the nurse expect to be used?
Cromolyn sodium
Which type of hypersensitivity occurs when the system mistakenly identifies a normal constituent of the body as foreign?
Cytotoxic
The nurse is preparing to administer a medication that has an affinity for H1 receptors. Which medication would the nurse administer?
Diphenhydramine
Which body substance causes increased gastric secretion, dilation of capillaries, and constriction of the bronchial smooth muscle?
Histamine
Which is a primary chemical mediator of hypersensitivity?
Histamine
A client develops a facial rash and urticaria after receiving penicillin. Which laboratory value does the nurse expect to be elevated?
IgE
The nurse is teaching a group of health care workers about latex allergies. What reaction will the nurse teach the workers to be most concerned about with laryngeal edema?
IgE-mediated hypersensitivity
A client is prescribed montelukast as part of a treatment plan for an allergic disorder. The nurse understands that this drug belongs to which class?
Leukotriene-receptor antagonist
Which chemical mediators initiate and mediate the inflammatory response?
Leukotrienes
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
A client comes to the clinic reporting nasal congestion and states, "I've been using an over-the-counter nasal spray that seemed to help at first, but then I got even more congested than before I started the medication. I continued the nasal spray, but it seems to be worse." What reaction will the nurse suspect?
Rhinitis medicamentosa
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
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
A client comes to the emergency department complaining of difficulty breathing and feeling strange after eating a shrimp cocktail. The client is leaning forward with a respiratory rate of 36 breaths per minute. The nurse suspects anaphylaxis. What is the nurse's priority action?
maintaining an open airway
A nurse has developed a latex allergy and now uses latex-free purple gloves to avoid a hypersensitivity response. What in this nurse's reaction to latex differs from all other types of hypersensitivity responses?
no antibody production
When evaluating a client's knowledge about use of antihistamines, what statement indicates further education is required?
"If I am pregnant, I should take half the dose."
A client presents at the clinic with an allergic disorder. The client asks the nurse what an "allergic disorder" means. What would be the nurse's best response?
"It is a hyperimmune response to something in the environment that is usually harmless."
The nurse teaches the client with allergies about anaphylaxis, including which statement?
The most common cause of anaphylaxis is penicillin.
Which allergic reaction is potentially life threatening?
angioedema
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
The nurse is teaching a client after a medication allergic reaction has occurred. What is the most important action for the nurse to teach the client to take to prevent anaphylaxis?
Avoid potential allergens.
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 Shrimp Milk
Which term refers to an incomplete antigen?
Hapten
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 asks the nurse if it would be all right to take an over-the-counter antihistamine for the treatment of a rash. What should the nurse educate the patient is a major side effect of antihistamines?
Sedation
Which statement describes the clinical manifestations of a delayed hypersensitivity (type IV) allergic reaction to latex?
They are localized to the area of exposure, usually the back of the hands.
The parents of a child with contact dermatitis are asking questions about the reaction within the immune system. What description regarding contact dermatitis as a type IV hypersensitivity reaction is accurate?
a delayed-type hypersensitivity that is mediated by T cells
The nurse is caring for a client experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. The nurse prepares for the maximum intensity of histamine response to occur within which time frame?
5 to 10 minutes
Which of the following is the most frequent route of exposure to a latex allergy?
Cutaneous
A client with lupus has had antineoplastic drugs prescribed. Why would the physician prescribe antineoplastic drugs for an autoimmune disorder?
For their immunosuppressant effects
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 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 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 is prescribed an oral corticosteroid for 2 weeks to relieve asthma symptoms. The nurse educates the client about side effects, which include
adrenal suppression.
A client is experiencing severe anaphylactic shock. What actions should the nurse take first? Select all that apply.
Administer diphenhydramine. Ask the client if they are lightheaded. Give intravenous fluids. Prepare for insertion of an endotracheal tube.
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 nurse is working in a dermatology clinic with clients who have allergies. What is the most important chemical mediator involved in the allergic response?
histamine
The nurse is conducting discharge teaching for a client who is being discharged from the emergency department after an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts. Which education should the nurse include in the teaching? Select all that apply.
Avoiding allergens Wearing a medical alert bracelet
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 presents to the emergency department in anaphylactic shock after a bee sting. What should the nurse do? Select all that apply.
Administer Diphenhydramine. Insert an intravenous line. Have respiratory therapy provide an albuterol treatment.
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/mL White blood cell count: 5,100/cu mm Eosinophil count: 4% Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: 20 mm/h The nurse identifies which result as suggesting an allergic reaction?
Serum IgE level
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
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.
The nurse is teaching a client about the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Which client statements indicate no further teaching is needed? Select all that apply.
"If I start having difficulty breathing, I need to get help right away." "Peripheral tingling is a symptom of anaphylaxis reaction."
The nurse observes diffuse swelling involving the deeper skin layers in a client who has experienced an allergic reaction. The nurse would correctly document this finding as
angioneurotic edema.
The nurse knows the best strategy for latex allergy is
avoidance of latex-based products.
Client is presenting an anaphylactic response to unknowingly ingesting nuts at a family celebration. What action is of primary importance upon admission?
maintain airway
The nurse is teaching a client about histamine release during an anaphylactic reaction. What does histamine release in anaphylaxis cause?
nasal congestion
The nurse is teaching a client about allergic rhinitis and its triggers. What is the most common trigger for the respiratory allergic response?
plant pollen
A pediatric client is recovering from an anaphylactic reaction to an allergen which brought him to the ED. The client's mother is quite concerned with the potential reoccurrence of her child's reaction. In attempting to narrow down the possible allergen, it is important to consider that clinical manifestations generally correlate with:
route of exposure.
A client is presenting an anaphylactic response to unknowingly ingesting nuts at a family celebration. What type of hypersensitivity did this client exhibit?
type I
A patient was seen in the clinic 3 days previously for allergic rhinitis and was given a prescription for a corticosteroid nasal spray. The patient calls the clinic and tells the nurse that the nasal spray is not working. What is the best response by the nurse?
"The full benefit of the medication may take up to 2 weeks to be achieved."
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 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
An infant is born to a mother who had no prenatal care during her pregnancy. What type of hypersensitivity reaction does the nurse understand may have occurred?
Rh-hemolytic disease
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.
In its attempt to suppress allergic responses, the body releases several chemicals which have a role in mediating physical reactions. Epinephrine, which interferes with vasoactive chemical release from mast cells, is instrumental in suppressing which type of hypersensitivity response?
type I