©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/6/2024 12:22 AM
HIV & AIDS Practice Questions With
Correct Answers.
The nurse is caring for a patient newly diagnosed with HIV. The patient asks what would determine the
actual development of AIDS. The nurse's response is based on the knowledge that what is a diagnostic
criterion for AIDS?
A. Presence of HIV antibodies
B. CD4+ T cell count below 200/µL
C. Presence of oral hairy leukoplakia
D. White blood cell count below 5000/µL - answer✔B. CD4+ T cell count below 200/µL
Diagnostic criteria for AIDS include a CD4+ T cell count below 200/µL and/or the development of
specified opportunistic infections, cancers, wasting syndrome, or dementia. The other options may be
found in patients with HIV disease but do not define the advancement of HIV infection to AIDS.
When teaching a patient infected with HIV regarding transmission of the virus to others, which
statement made by the patient would indicate a need for further teaching?
A. "I will need to isolate any tissues I use so as not to infect my family."
B. "I will notify all of my sexual partners so they can get tested for HIV."
C. "Unprotected sexual contact is the most common mode of transmission."
D. "I do not need to worry about spreading this virus to others by sweating at the gym." - answer✔A. "I
will need to isolate any tissues I use so as not to infect my family."
HIV is not spread casually. The virus cannot be transmitted through hugging, dry kissing, shaking hands,
sharing eating utensils, using toilet seats, or attending school with an HIV-infected person. It is not
transmitted through tears, saliva, urine, emesis, sputum, feces, or sweat.
The nurse is providing care for a patient who has been living with HIV for several years. Which
assessment finding most clearly indicates an acute exacerbation of the disease?
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/6/2024 12:22 AM
A. A new onset of polycythemia
B. Presence of mononucleosis-like symptoms
C. A sharp decrease in the patient's CD4+ count
D. A sudden increase in the patient's WBC count - answer✔C. A sharp decrease in the patient's CD4+
count
A decrease in CD4+ count signals an exacerbation of the severity of HIV. Polycythemia is not
characteristic of the course of HIV. A patient's WBC count is very unlikely to suddenly increase, with
decreases being typical. Mononucleosis-like symptoms such as malaise, headache, and fatigue are
typical of early HIV infection and seroconversion.
A pregnant woman who was tested and diagnosed with HIV infection is very upset. What should the
nurse teach this patient about her baby's risk of being born with HIV infection?
A. "The baby will probably be infected with HIV."
B. "Only an abortion will keep your baby from having HIV."
C. "Treatment with antiretroviral therapy will decrease the baby's chance of HIV infection."
D. "The duration and frequency of contact with the organism will determine if the baby gets HIV
infection." - answer✔C. "Treatment with antiretroviral therapy will decrease the baby's chance of HIV
infection."
On average, 25% of infants born to women with untreated HIV will be born with HIV. The risk of
transmission is reduced to less than 2% if the infected pregnant woman is treated with antiretroviral
therapy. Duration and frequency of contact with the HIV organism is one variable that influences
whether transmission of HIV occurs. Volume, virulence, and concentration of the organism as well as
host immune status are variables related to transmission via blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast
milk.
A 25-year-old male patient has been diagnosed with HIV. The patient does not want to take more than
one antiretroviral drug. What reasons can the nurse tell the patient about for taking more than one
drug?
A. Together they will cure HIV.
B. Viral replication will be inhibited.
C. They will decrease CD4+ T cell counts.
D. It will prevent interaction with other drugs - answer✔B. Viral replication will be inhibited.
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/6/2024 12:22 AM
The major advantage of using several classes of antiretroviral drugs is that viral replication can be
inhibited in several ways, making it more difficult for the virus to recover and decreasing the likelihood
of drug resistance that is a major problem with monotherapy. Combination therapy also delays disease
progression and decreases HIV symptoms and opportunistic diseases. HIV cannot be cured. CD4+ T cell
counts increase with therapy. There are dangerous interactions with many antiretroviral drugs and
other commonly used drugs.
The woman is afraid she may get HIV from her bisexual husband. What should the nurse include when
teaching her about preexposure prophylaxis (select all that apply)?
A. Take fluconazole (Diflucan).
B. Take amphotericin B (Fungizone).
C. Use condoms for risk-reducing sexual relations.
D. Take emtricitabine and tenofovir (Truvada) regularly.
E. Have regular HIV testing for herself and her husband. - answer✔C. Use condoms for risk-reducing
sexual relations.
D. Take emtricitabine and tenofovir (Truvada) regularly.
E. Have regular HIV testing for herself and her husband.
Using male or female condoms, having monthly HIV testing for the patient and her husband, and the
woman taking emtricitabine and tenofovir regularly has shown to decrease the infection of heterosexual
women having sex with a partner who participates in high-risk behavior. Fluconazole and amphotericin
B are taken for Candida albicans, Coccidioides immitis, and Cryptococcosus neoformans, which are all
opportunistic diseases associate with HIV infection.
The nurse was accidently stuck with a needle used on an HIV-positive patient. After reporting this, what
care should this nurse first receive?
A. Personal protective equipment
B. Combination antiretroviral therapy
C. Counseling to report blood exposures
D. A negative evaluation by the manager - answer✔B. Combination antiretroviral therapy
Postexposure prophylaxis with combination antiretroviral therapy can significantly decrease the risk of
infection. Personal protective equipment should be available although it may not have stopped this
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/6/2024 12:22 AM
needle stick. The needle stick has been reported. The negative evaluation may or may not be needed
but would not occur first.
The HIV-infected patient is taught health promotion activities including good nutrition; avoiding alcohol,
tobacco, drug use, and exposure to infectious agents; keeping up to date with vaccines; getting
adequate rest; and stress management. What is the rationale behind these interventions that the nurse
knows?
A. Delaying disease progression
B. Preventing disease transmission
C. Helping to cure the HIV infection
D. Enabling an increase in self-care activities - answer✔A. Delaying disease progression
These health promotion activities along with mental health counseling, support groups, and a
therapeutic relationship with health care providers will promote a healthy immune system, which may
delay disease progression. These measures will not cure HIV infection, prevent disease transmission, or
increase self-care activities
The patient is admitted to the ED with fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache, malaise, joint
pain, and diarrhea. What nursing measures will help identify the need for further assessment of the
cause of this patient's manifestations (select all that apply)?
A. Assessment of lung sounds
B. Assessment of sexual behavior
C. Assessment of living conditions
D. Assessment of drug and syringe use
E. Assessment of exposure to an ill person - answer✔B. Assessment of sexual behavior
D. Assessment of drug and syringe use
With these symptoms, assessing this patient's sexual behavior and possible exposure to shared drug
equipment will identify if further assessment for the HIV virus should be made or the manifestations are
from some other illness (e.g., lung sounds and living conditions may indicate further testing for TB).
Transmission of HIV from an infected individual to another most commonly occurs as a result of
a. unprotected anal or vaginal sexual intercourse.
