A 26-Year-Old Student Comes to the Emergency Department 10 Hours

question 468

Multiple Choice

A 26-year-old student comes to the emergency department 10 hours after his right arm was scratched by a bat.  He says, "I frequently explore caves, and bats do not always seem to like me."  He had a similar scratch 1 year ago and completed his anti-rabies vaccination series.  All his vaccinations are up-to-date.  His past medical history is otherwise insignificant.  He does not use tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs.  He is currently not taking any medications and has no known allergies.  What is the best management strategy for this patient?

• A)Hospitalization and observation
• B)Rabies immune globulin and vaccine
• C)Rabies immune globulin only
• D)Rabies vaccine only
• E)Reassurance and routine discharge

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Definitions:

Learned Response

A behavior that has been acquired or modified as a result of experience or conditioning.

Extinction

In psychology, the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency; in biology, the dying out of a species.

Commission

An instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.

Fixed-ratio Schedule

This is a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded only after a specified number of responses.