An RN in a pediatric emergency department performs a triage patient on a 13-month-old male. The patient's father states he had difficulty waking his son from a nap that afternoon. Additionally, the infant had difficulty crawling and had difficulty with feeding the following morning. The RN observes that the patient has a weak cry. Upon further assessment, the patient's father noted that the infant had ingested fresh honey on his toast at breakfast yesterday. The medical team suspects Clostridium botulinum infection due to the ingestion of bacterial endospores.
-Even though it is a bacterium,Clostridium botulinum can be made more pathogenic once infected with a(n)________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and can transfer genetic material between them, including genes that code for toxins such as botulinum toxin. When infected with a bacteriophage carrying the botulinum toxin gene, Clostridium botulinum becomes more pathogenic.

An RN in a Pediatric Emergency Department Performs a Triage