Author Question: An older patient tells the nurse that he develops pneumonia easily; however, his wife of the same ... (Read 86 times)

oliviahorn72 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

An older patient tells the nurse that he develops pneumonia easily; however, his wife of the same age rarely gets sick. How should the nurse respond?

1. Not everyone's immune system is the same, regardless of their age.
2. Your wife must be doing something that you're not doing.
3. Maybe your wife just doesn't tell you when she's sick.
4. It's just a matter of time. Your wife will have the same illnesses you do.

Question 2

A patient tells the nurse that she used to get the common cold at least three times a year but now can't remember the last time she had one. What should the nurse realize this patient is describing?

1. healthy B cell functioning
2. healthy helper T cell functioning
3. T cell secretion of antibodies
4. healthy regulator T cell functioning

amy.lauersdorf90 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 1

Immune function declines with aging. External factors, such as nutritional status and the effects of chemical exposure, ultraviolet radiation, and environmental pollution, affect the older adult's immune status. Internal factors affect it as well, including genetics, the function of the neurologic and endocrine systems, chronic and prior illnesses, and individual anatomic and physiologic variations. These influences make it difficult to determine the effect of aging on the immune system. In some older individuals, the immune system is as effective as that of younger persons. The nurse should not say that the patient's wife is doing something that the patient is not doing, or that the wife might not be telling the patient when she is ill. The nurse has no way of knowing if the wife's immune system is going to change or when.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 1

B cells produce antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, that inactivate an invading antigen. Memory cells remember an antigen, and, when exposed to it a second time, immediately initiate the immune response. T cells do not secrete antibodies. T cells are subdivided into effector cells and regulator cells. Regulator T cells are divided into two subsets known as helper T cells and suppressor T cells. In addition to destroying viruses within cells marked as non self, cytotoxic T cells also attack malignant cells and are responsible for the rejection of transplanted organs and grafted tissues.