Author Question: To care adequately for infants at risk for neonatal bacterial infection, nurses should be aware ... (Read 114 times)

Anajune7 · **on:** Jun 28, 2018

To care adequately for infants at risk for neonatal bacterial infection, nurses should be aware that:

a. Congenital infection progresses more slowly than does nosocomial infection.
b. Nosocomial infection can be prevented by effective handwashing; early-onset infections cannot.
c. Infections occur with about the same frequency in boy and girl infants, although female mortality is higher.
d. The clinical sign of a rapid, high fever makes infection easier to diagnose.

Question 2

A primigravida has just delivered a healthy infant girl. The nurse is about to administer erythromycin ointment in the infant's eyes when the mother asks, What is that medicine for? The nurse responds:

a. It is an eye ointment to help your baby see you better.
b. It is to protect your baby from contracting herpes from your vaginal tract.
c. Erythromycin is given prophylactically to prevent a gonorrheal infection.
d. This medicine will protect your baby's eyes from drying out over the next few days.

triiciiaa · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 28, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Handwashing is an effective preventive measure for late-onset (nosocomial) infections because these infections come from the environment around the infant. Early-onset, or congenital, infections are caused by the normal flora at the maternal vaginal tract and progress more rapidly than do nosocomial (late-onset) infections. Infection occurs about twice as often in boys and results in higher mortality. Clinical signs of neonatal infection are nonspecific and are similar to those of noninfectious problems, thus making diagnosis difficult.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
With the prophylactic use of erythromycin, the incidence of gonococcal conjunctivitis has declined to less than 0.5. Eye prophylaxis is administered at or shortly after birth to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum. Erythromycin has no bearing on enhancing vision, is used to prevent an infection caused by gonorrhea, not herpes, and is not used for eye lubrication.