A patient is admitted to the hospital with fever, cough, malaise, ...

[123654777]

A patient is admitted to the hospital with fever, cough, malaise, and weakness.
 
  Forty-eight hours later, the symptoms have become progressively worse, and they progress to severe respiratory distress, septicemia, and hemorrhagic meningitis. The nurse recognizes these signs and symptoms as:
  a. tularemia.
  b. smallpox.
  c. inhalation anthrax.
  d. pneumonic plague.

Question 2

The nurse is providing smallpox vaccinations after determining that an individual who works for a local military laboratory was exposed. After administering the vaccine, how should the nurse instruct the individual to care for the site?
 
  a. Cover the site with a bandage.
  b. Leave the site open to the air.
  c. Cover the site with a nonpermeable, occlusive dressing.
  d. Cover the site with sterile gauze and tape the edges.

[T4T]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Inhalation anthrax is characterized by fever, cough, malaise, and weakness, which progress 2 to 3 days later to severe respiratory distress, septicemia, and hemorrhagic meningitis. Tularemia is characterized by fever, headache, chills, rigors, body aches, sneezing, and sore throat. Pneumonia and pleuritis may develop. Smallpox is manifested by a vesicular rash, which this patient does not have. Fever is a characteristic of both inhalational anthrax and smallpox. Pneumonic plague is manifested by high fever, cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
To prevent the spread of live viruses, which the vaccine contains, the site should be covered with a secure, sterile gauze or a semipermeable membrane. If a vaccination site is not securely covered, the vaccine, which contains live viruses, can be transferred to other areas of the body and to other people. A bandage is not a secure device. A semipermeable dressing, not a nonpermeable dressing, can be used to cover the inoculation site.

[123654777]

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[alexanderhamilton]

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