A 51-Year-Old Executive with a History of Cocaine Abuse and Peptic

question 126

Multiple Choice

A 51-year-old executive with a history of cocaine abuse and peptic ulcer disease is scheduled to undergo a routine colonoscopy at an outpatient surgical center.  While preparing for the procedure, a staff nurse accidentally suffers a needlestick injury while placing an intravenous peripheral line on the patient.  The physician in charge of the case notifies the appropriate administrators and orders immediate laboratory testing for infectious disease, including HIV and hepatitis B and C.  When informed, the patient becomes very upset and refuses to give blood for testing as he does not want to be tested for HIV.  He insists that he is at very low risk and testing would be unnecessary.  Which of the following would be the most appropriate next step?

• A)Do not test the patient and arrange close follow-up and testing for the nurse
• B)Do not test the patient and place the nurse on HIV prophylaxis medications
• C)Inform the patient that testing is mandatory in this situation and he must provide a sample
• D)Interview the patient regarding his HIV risk factors prior to taking any action
• E)Offer the patient the option of being tested for HIV without being informed of the results

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Definitions:

Nutrient Density

A measure of the nutrients provided by a food relative to its calorie content, emphasizing foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial components with fewer calories.

Kilocalorie

A unit of energy often used in nutrition to quantify the energy content in food, equivalent to 1,000 calories.

Essential Nutrient

Nutrients required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from the diet.

Calories

A unit of energy that measures the amount of energy food provides to the body.