A patient who has never experienced a reaction to a bee sting comes into the emergency department with intense edema and redness at the site of the sting. The nurse realizes that this patient is demonstrating which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is demonstrating mobilization of lymphocytic memory T cells. This is because the patient has never experienced a reaction to a bee sting before, so the immune system is not yet sensitized to the venom. When the patient is stung, the venom triggers the production of antibodies by B cells. These antibodies bind to the venom and neutralize it. The T cells then help to destroy the venom-antibody complexes.

A Patient Who Has Never Experienced a Reaction to a Bee