Question

The nurse is assigned to a newly delivered woman with HIV/AIDS. The student asks the nurse about how it is determined that a person has AIDS other than a positive HIV test. The nurse responds

A) "The complaints of at least 3 common findings."
B) "The absence of any opportunistic infection."
C) "CD4 lymphocyte count is less than 200."
D) "Developmental delays in children."

Answer 1

A diagnosis of AIDS is given when a person's CD4 T-cell count falls below 200 cells/μL or when they develop certain opportunistic infections. Opportunistic diseases often lead to death in individuals with AIDS.

Step-by-step explanation:

A person with HIV is diagnosed with AIDS when their CD4 T-cell count drops below 200 cells/μL or when they develop certain opportunistic infections. These infections are illnesses that typically do not occur in individuals with healthy immune systems but can cause severe or fatal diseases in those with weakened immune defenses, as in the case of AIDS. Additionally, some patients with AIDS may develop rare cancers like Kaposi's sarcoma.

It is crucial to understand that a decline in the number of CD4 T cells leads to a severely compromised immune system, which makes a person vulnerable to opportunistic diseases. These diseases are often what lead to death in individuals with AIDS. Therefore, the correct answer to the nurse's response would be: "CD4 lymphocyte count is less than 200."