Author Question: A patient is being treated for trichinosis. The patient asks the nurse why the provider has ordered ... (Read 28 times)

jace · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

A patient is being treated for trichinosis. The patient asks the nurse why the provider has ordered prednisone in addition to the anthelmintic medication. The nurse will tell this patient that this is ordered to:

a. prevent swelling of the legs caused by larval infestation of lymphatics.
b. reduce the inflammation that occurs dur-ing larval migration.
c. suppress the patient's allergic response to the anthelmintic agent.
d. suppress dermatologic symptoms that oc-cur with heavy infestation.

Question 2

A young female patient is seen in a rural clinic after complaining of abdominal pain. The patient is wearing dirty clothing and is barefoot. The provider orders a complete blood count, which shows that the patient is anemic.

The nurse may suspect that this patient has which of the fol-lowing infestations? a. Ancylostomiasis (hookworm)
b. Ascariasis (giant roundworm)
c. Enterobiasis (pinworm)
d. Trichuriasis (whipworm)

Jody Vaughn · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
Trichinosis is acquired by eating undercooked pork containing encysted larvae, which migrate from the intestine to the skeletal muscle. Prednisone is given to reduce the inflammation that re-sults from larval migration. This parasite does not affect lymphatics or cause elephantiasis. Pred-nisone is not given to counter allergic reactions to the drug. Dermatologic symptoms are not part of trichinosis infestations.

Answer to Question 2

A
Ancylostomiasis is most common when hygiene is poor and the patient habitually goes barefoot. Symptomatic anemia may occur in menstruating women or undernourished individuals. Ascaria-sis is usually asymptomatic. Enterobiasis is characterized by perianal itching. Trichuriasis is usually asymptomatic but may cause rectal prolapse if the worm burden is very large.