Final answer:
A nurse should expect a Wood's lamp test or a punch biopsy to be prescribed for a client with signs of a skin infection, depending on the suspected cause, whether it's a fungal infection like ringworm or a deeper skin condition such as leprosy or rabies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a client is demonstrating signs of a skin infection, a nurse can expect several types of diagnostic tests to be prescribed, depending on the suspected cause and symptoms of the infection. A Wood's lamp examination is often used for diagnosing superficial fungal infections such as ringworm, as it causes certain types of fungus to fluoresce under its ultraviolet light. A skin biopsy, which includes punch biopsy, could be indicated to diagnose infections or conditions that infiltrate deeper into the skin layers, such as leprosy or other less clear cutaneous conditions. For suspected rabies infection after an animal bite, a skin biopsy from the nape of the neck with immunofluorescent staining can be used to look for rabies antibodies. A patch test might be used to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis. In the context of infections and based on the provided case scenarios, a punch biopsy or a sample from the lesion could be used to identify the responsible microorganism, such as the bacterium responsible for leprosy or other infections.