An older adult patient diagnosed with colon cancer is being ...

[Mimi]

An older adult patient diagnosed with colon cancer is being evaluated for surgical removal of the tumor. The nurse explains that the primary consideration is the
 
  a. absence of any chronic disorders.
  b. absence of metastasis.
  c. tumor's staging status.
  d. patient's presurgical health status.

Question 2

The nurse is preparing an educational facts sheet on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for older adults. What information does the nurse include? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. Tainted blood transfusions are the greatest risk factor in older adults.
  b. Delayed recognition of HIV contributes to its poor prognosis.
  c. Twenty-five percent of AIDS cases in the United States are in persons older than 60.
  d. There is a short interval from HIV infec-tion to AIDS in older adults.
  e. HIV and AIDS cases in this age cohort have stabilized since the late 1990s.

[ebe]

Answer to Question 1

D
The curability of cancer in older adults is largely predicted by an individual's ability to tolerate major surgery. The absence of metastasis and the tumor stage will impact additional treatments. Absence of chronic illness is not a factor in and of itself.

Answer to Question 2

B, D
The low clinical suspicion of HIV infection and delayed recognition of AIDS-defining infections contribute to the poor prognosis of HIV infection in older adults. The aging immune system is not able to eliminate the HIV residing in macrophages, lymphoid tissue, or the brain. Because the immune system's regenerative capacity is diminished and not all replacement cells are fully functional, the disease progresses more rapidly than in a younger cohort. Tainted blood is not the primary means of infection in this cohort. About 31 of HIV cases are in older adults, and 17 of new HIV infections occur in people older than 50.

[Mimi]

Correct answers!

[ebe]

Great! Please up vote