Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
About 5 days ago, a 45-year-old patient began experiencing symptoms of what appeared to be a simple upper respiratory tract infection. She has come to the ER after experiencing mild paralysis in her arms and an abnormal heartbeat. While in triage, she suddenly develops difficulty breathing and is sent up to the respiratory unit where you are the charge nurse. In your initial assessment, you discover gross inflammation of her pharynx and tonsils, and the entire area appears to be covered by a grayish-white membrane. You order a throat swab and additional specimens for microbial analysis, and you immediately send the patient into isolation.
-The patient's condition is worsening quite rapidly.You report the laboratory findings to the on-call physician.Even without laboratory confirmation,she orders you to begin which course of treatment?

Question

Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
 About 5 days ago, a 45-year-old patient began experiencing symptoms of what appeared to be a simple upper respiratory tract infection. She has come to the ER after experiencing mild paralysis in her arms and an abnormal heartbeat. While in triage, she suddenly develops difficulty breathing and is sent up to the respiratory unit where you are the charge nurse. In your initial assessment, you discover gross inflammation of her pharynx and tonsils, and the entire area appears to be covered by a grayish-white membrane. You order a throat swab and additional specimens for microbial analysis, and you immediately send the patient into isolation.
-The patient's condition is worsening quite rapidly.You report the laboratory findings to the on-call physician.Even without laboratory confirmation,she orders you to begin which course of treatment?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gross inflammation of the pharynx and tonsils with the presence of a grayish-white membrane strongly suggests diphtheria, a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Administration of antitoxin is the recommended treatment for diphtheria before laboratory confirmation is received. Rimantadine is used for the treatment of influenza, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is used for the treatment of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP), and ciprofloxacin is used for the treatment of pulmonary anthrax.

Please Read the Clinical Scenario, and Then Answer the Question