An older person is admitted to the hospital with an exacerbation ...

[bb]

An older person is admitted to the hospital with an exacerbation of congestive heart failure. The nurse notes that the patient complains of severe itching at night and has a red rash on her torso. The patient is diagnosed with scabies.
 
  The patient asks the nurse, How did I get something like this? The best response by the nurse is:
  a. Scabies is highly contagious and spreads easily through physical contact.
  b. Scabies is commonly seen in older adults due to normal age-related changes in the skin.
  c. Scabies is only seen in older adults who have multiple chronic illnesses.
  d. Certain medications can make you more susceptible to contracting scabies.

Question 2

A nurse is providing an educational session on vaccines to a group of older adults. The nurse is discussing the zoster vaccine (Zostavax). Which of the following information should the nurse include in the education?
 
  a. Zostavax should only be given to individ-uals who have never had an episode of herpes zoster (HZ)
  b. Zostavax is recommended for all individ-uals over age 60 that have no contraindi-cations to the vaccine
  c. Zostavax should not be given to anyone with a chronic cardiac or respiratory con-dition
  d. Zostavax will always prevent an individu-al from developing Herpes Zoster

[aliotak]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Scabies is caused by a tiny burrowing mite and is highly contagious and easily passed by an in-fected person to family members and others in close contact by direct physical content. It is not limited to older adults, and age-related changes in the skin do not cause it or make a person more susceptible. Individuals with multiple chronic conditions are not more likely to develop scabies than other individuals. There is no evidence that medications can make an individual more sus-ceptible.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Zostavax is recommended for all persons 60 and older who have no contraindications to the vac-cine, including persons with a previous episode of Herpes Zoster (HZ) and those with chronic conditions. The vaccine does not guarantee that an individual will not get HZ; however, individ-uals who get the vaccine cut their risk in half and if they do get HZ, it is likely that they will get a milder case.