Question

A new graduate nurse is performing an admission assessment on a client with symptoms that indicate the client may have HIV. Which question does the nurse ask to identify a major risk factor for contracting HIV

A) Has your partner been experiencing these symptoms
B) Do you always practice safe sex
C) Have you had any fever, diarrhea, or chills over the last 48 hours
D) Have you ever experimented with intravenous drugs

Answer 1

The nurse should ask if the client has ever experimented with intravenous drugs, as this is a major risk factor for HIV transmission. Hospitals test for HIV to ensure early detection and because several opportunistic diseases typically cause the immediate cause of death in people with AIDS. Various blood tests are used to diagnose HIV.

Step-by-step explanation:

Risk Factors for HIV Transmission

A new graduate nurse performing an admission assessment on a client with symptoms that could be indicative of HIV should inquire about behaviors that carry higher risks for contracting the virus. Since HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sexual activity and sharing of needles in intravenous drug use, the most important question from the provided options would be:

"D) Have you ever experimented with intravenous drugs?"

This question addresses a major risk factor for HIV transmission. Furthermore, the nurse should understand that even if a new sexual partner has recent test results showing they are HIV negative, unprotected sex still poses a risk because the test results could be outdated or in the window period when the virus is not yet detectable but still transmissible. Understanding how HIV is transmitted, which includes through blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, is crucial for effective prevention.

HIV can potentially cause cancer by weakening the immune system, making the body more susceptible to certain types of cancers that are more prevalent in individuals with a compromised immune system, like Kaposi's sarcoma.

The immediate cause of death in people with AIDS is typically opportunistic diseases, due to the severely weakened immune system that allows these infections to take hold.

Hospitals test patients for HIV to ensure early detection, which is vital for effective treatment and slowing disease progression. Various blood tests can be used to diagnose HIV, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.