Question 1

A patient with syphilis is seen at the clinic and complains of body aches,pustules,fever,and sore throat.The nurse recognizes that these are symptoms of syphilis at which stage?

Accepted Answer

Symptoms in the secondary stage are body aches,rash,pustules,fever,and sore throat.

Question 2

Doxycycline (Vibramycin)has been prescribed for a patient who has gonorrhea.Before beginning the medication,the nurse would instruct the patient to:

Accepted Answer

Follow-up examinations are important to determine whether treatment has been effective to prevent reinfection of the partner.

Question 3

The statement by the nurse that is most likely to overcome noncompliance in the patient with gonorrhea who is taking a protocol of tetracycline antibiotics is:

Accepted Answer

Explain to the patient that medication-resistant disease is a real possibility if the entire amount of the prescription is not taken.Sterility is not related to noncompliance with the medication,but it is related to repeated occurrence of the gonorrhea.

Question 4

A patient has been diagnosed with herpes simplex virus,type 2 (HSV type 2).The nurse should instruct the patient to:

Accepted Answer

Inform the patient that the virus can survive on objects such as towels.

Question 5

The nurse in the outpatient clinic notes that the patient has been treated for syphilis three separate times in the last 2 years.The nurse explains that the antibiotic treatment this time will consist of one injection of:

Accepted Answer

The patient who has had syphilis more than 1 year will need long-term antimicrobial remedy,as well as an initial dose of penicillin G.Antiviral agents are not used in the treatment of a bacterial disease.

Question 6

When the female patient who is newly diagnosed with gonorrhea screams,"I am going to kill my husband.I mean it." The nurse's best response would be:

Accepted Answer

Provide an opportunity to talk.Help the patient focus on the source of anxiety with the use of open-ended questions.

Question 7

A pregnant patient with HSV type 2 has a Herp-Test performed in the physician's office 1 day before she is due to deliver by cesarean section.The test is negative.The nurse is aware that this means the:

Accepted Answer

A negative Herp-Test shows no active viral disease,and the birth can be accomplished vaginally if the physician prefers.

Question 8

A couple comes to the emergency department for the treatment of an STI.The man's presenting symptoms include a creamy penile discharge and frequent urination.The woman has lower abdominal pain and a vaginal discharge.The nurse recognizes that these symptoms are characteristic of:

Accepted Answer

Symptoms in men are penile discharge,thin at first,then creamy,and frequent urination.Symptoms in women are a vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain.

Question 9

The nurse asks a patient to repeat the instructions to evaluate her knowledge about safe sex practices.The statement that indicates understanding is:

Accepted Answer

Body massage is considered a safe sex practice.

Question 10

The nurse explains that an antiviral drug commonly used to relieve symptoms of HSV is:

Accepted Answer

No cure is available for HSV infection,but oral antiviral drugs similar to acyclovir (Zovirax)help partially control the signs and symptoms during initial and recurrent episodes.

Question 11

The woman diagnosed with gonorrhea is astounded and states that she had no idea that she had an STI.The nurse explains that gonorrhea:

Accepted Answer

Over one half of those in the early stages of gonorrhea have no symptoms at all.Symptoms of gonorrhea typically occur 3 days to 3 weeks after exposure and are more apparent in men than in women.No chancre is exhibited,as with syphilis,and gonorrhea does not produce a foul discharge.

Question 12

The nurse giving instruction to a patient with a STI says,"I am supposed to tell you about STIs,but you probably know more about them than I do." This nurse is:

Accepted Answer

Judgmental behavior on the part of health care providers discourages people from seeking appropriate medical care.

Question 13

The nurse,completing a history of illnesses for a young woman who suspects she may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI),will ask specifically about whether the patient has experienced:

Accepted Answer

With an STI,the patient usually complains of genital discharge.

Question 14

A health educator,giving a presentation on how to use condoms correctly,would include instruction that:

Accepted Answer

Protect condoms from heat and sunlight to keep them from deteriorating.

Question 15

The method used to identify organisms of gonorrhea will be:

Accepted Answer

Smears from genital discharge can be studied on a smear.

Question 16

The patient at the outpatient clinic is reluctant to identify her sexual contacts.The nurse explains that the reporting of contacts is essential to:

Accepted Answer

Confirmed cases are reported to the health department.The purpose is to identify and treat infected individuals so that transmission can be slowed.

Question 17

The nurse should emphasize the importance of annual Papanicolaou (pap)smears to the patient with genital warts (Condylomata acuminata),because an association exists between the human papilloma virus (HPV)and the eventual development of:

Accepted Answer

Women with HPV or Condylomata acuminate are advised to have annual pap smears because they are at an increased risk for cervical cancer.

Question 18

The nurse who is caring for a patient who is taking acyclovir (Zovirax)is alert for the side effects of this drug,which include:

Accepted Answer

Side effects include dizziness,headache,nausea and vomiting,renal failure,and seizures.

Question 19

Primary stage syphilis is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A typical lesion,a chancre,is the first sign of syphilis.

Question 20

The gynecologist caring for a pregnant patient who has gonorrhea prescribed cefixime (Suprax)instead of the more common tetracycline hydrochloride (Achromycin).The nurse is aware that the rationale for this decision is that:

Accepted Answer

Achromycin is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.

Quiz 49: Sexually Transmitted Infections