HIV & AIDS Practice UPDATED Exam
Questions and 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 - CORRECT 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." -
CORRECT 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?
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 - CORRECT 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." - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔B. Viral
replication will be inhibited.
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. - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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
