Immune System (1 of 3)

A parent of a child who has been having frequent bouts of tonsillitis brings the child back to the clinic for another sore throat. The parent asks the nurse, "What are tonsils good for anyway?" What is the best response by the nurse?

"These tissues filter bacteria from tissue fluid."

A client is informed that his white blood cell count is low and that he is at risk for the development of infections. The client asks, "Where do I make new white blood cells?" What is the best response by the nurse?

"White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow."

The nurse is instructing client's about the importance of taking the shingles vaccine. Which client would benefit from this vaccine?

A 65-year-old client who had chicken pox when he was 12 years old.

A client has not responded to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. What option may be available for treatment for this client?

Aldesleukin

When an attenuated toxin is administered to a client, the B-cell lymphocytes create memory cells that recognize the antigen if it invades the body at a future time. What kind of immunity is this?

Artificially acquired active immunity

The client is about to have a skin test for an allergic disorder. What critical instruction should the nurse give this client?

Avoid antihistamines and cold preparations for 48 to 72 hours before the test.

A teenaged client has been brought to the clinic by his mother and is suspected of having an immune system disorder. What tests would the nurse expect to be ordered for this young client?

Complete blood count with differential

A client is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia. The client informs the nurse that he has several drug allergies. The physician has ordered an antibiotic as well as several other medications for cough and fever. What should the nurse do prior to administering the medications?

Consult drug references to make sure the medicines do not contain substances which the client is hypersensitive.

A client who is being treated for complications related to acquired immunodeficiency disorder syndrome (AIDS) is receiving interferon parenterally as an adjunctive therapy. Why does the nurse understand this route is being used?

Digestive enzymes destroy its protein structure.

The clinic nurse is caring for a client with an allergic disorder who has received the first sensitizing dose of a new drug. What nursing action is most important at this point?

Monitor the client for reactions.

The anatomy and physiology instructor is explaining a cell-mediated response to the pre-nursing students. What actions would the instructor explain occur in a cell-mediated response?

T-cell lymphocytes survey proteins in the body and attack the invading antigens.

The nurse is administering a skin test for detection of exposure to tuberculosis. How would the nurse determine if the client was exposed to tuberculosis?

The injection area swells if the client has developed antibodies against the antigen.

A client is treated in the clinic for a sexually transmitted infection, and the nurse suspects that the client is at risk for HIV. The physician determines that the client should be tested for the virus. What responsibility does the nurse have?

The nurse ensures a written consent is obtained prior to testing.

A client will be receiving a hepatitis B vaccination series prior to employment in a dialysis center. What type of immunity will this provide?

artificially acquired active immunity

The nurse is obtaining information from a client with Crohn's disease about his medication history. What medication would the nurse include when asking about what medications the client has taken for suppression of the inflammatory and immune response?

corticosteroids

An adult client has had mumps when the client was a child. The client had a titer prior to entering nursing school and shows immunity. What type of immunity does this reflect?

naturally acquired active immunity

A client has had a kidney transplant performed for end-stage kidney disease. What type of immune response that T-cell lymphocytes perform is related to this type of surgery?

A cell-mediated response

A client asks the nurse about the importance of taking supplements to maximize immune function. The client is healthy and does not have any medical problems. What is the best information to give to the client?

Eating a moderate diet that is balanced and varied will maximize immune function.

A client with chronic renal failure has begun treatment with a colony-stimulating factor. What medication does the nurse anticipate administering to the client that will promote the production of blood cells?

Epoetin alfa (Epogen)

What type of immunoglobulin does the nurse recognize that promotes the release of vasoactive chemicals such as histamine when a client is having an allergic reaction?

IgE

The nurse is caring for a client with a suspected diagnosis of HIV. The nurse is preparing to draw blood for a confirmatory diagnostic test on this client. What is the most important action that the nurse should perform before testing a client for HIV?

Obtain a written consent from the client.

A laboring mother asks the nurse if the baby will have immunity to some illnesses when born. What type of immunity does the nurse understand that the newborn will have?

Passive immunity transferred by the mother

What is the function of the thymus gland?

Programs T lymphocytes to become regulator or effector T cells.

The nurse is caring for a client with an autoimmune disease. What is a characteristic of autoimmune disorders?

Progressive tissue damage without any verifiable etiology

The nurse is caring for a client with a suspected immune system disorder. What test would be ordered if a deficiency or excess of immunoglobulins was suspected?

Protein electrophoresis

The nurse is beginning the physical examination of a client with a complaint of fatigue. What documentation will the nurse provide to describe this general appraisal of the client's health?

The client appears mildly ill, listless, and disheveled.

An older adult client, who leads a sedentary lifestyle, and a younger client, who has a very stressful and active lifestyle, require a vaccine against a particular viral disorder. The nurse knows that in one of these clients, the vaccine will be less effective. In which client is the vaccine more likely to be less effective and why?

The male client because of his age

A client is cutting vegetable for dinner and accidently cuts his finger. What response is desirable to destroy foreign agents such as microorganisms to prevent infection from developing in the finger?

The release of antibodies

Why would it be important for the nurse to question the client about sexual practices, history of substance abuse, and his lifestyle during the interview process?

To determine if the client has practices that put him at risk for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

The nurse is caring for a client on tube feedings. The physician has ordered Osmolite HN as the feeding formula for the client. The family asks why the physician has ordered Osmolite HN instead of another formula to feed their family member. What is an important reason that tube-feeding formulas, such as Impact, Immun-Aid, or Perative, be recommended to clients?

To enhance the production of T-cell lymphocytes and NK cells

A client's immune system has the ability to protect itself from external invaders. What type of immune function is present when this occurs?

immunocompetence

The nursing students are learning about the immune system in their anatomy and physiology class. What would these students learn is a component of the immune system?

lymphoid tissues

What type of cytokine will attract neutrophils and monocytes to remove debris?

lymphokines

The nurse understands that which cells circulate throughout the body looking for virus-infected cells and cancer cells?

natural killer cells

A child is brought to the clinic with a rash. The child is diagnosed with measles. The mother tells the nurse that she had the measles when she was a little girl. What immunity to measles develops after the initial infection?

naturally acquired active immunity

The nurse is caring for a client with chronic fatigue syndrome. What is a realistic nursing intervention when taking care of a client with this diagnosis?

Educate the client about the disease process.