A home health nurse is caring for an elderly client who has heart failure. Which of the following interventions on the tertiary level of prevention could be included in the care?
Reinforce past teachings on how to read food labels.
Review the daily weights the client has collected since the last home visit.
Remind the client to ask for the pneumococcal vaccine during their next provider appointment.
Auscultate the lungs and assess for edema.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A Reason:
Reinforcing past teachings on how to read food labels is an important educational intervention. It helps the client make informed dietary choices, which can be crucial in managing heart failure. However, this intervention is more aligned with secondary prevention, which focuses on early detection and management of disease risk factors to prevent progression. Tertiary prevention, on the other hand, aims to manage and mitigate complications of an already established disease.
Choice B Reason:
Tertiary prevention focuses on managing and mitigating the effects of an existing disease to prevent complications and improve quality of life. In the context of heart failure, this involves monitoring and managing symptoms to prevent disease progression and hospitalizations. Reviewing the client's daily weights helps detect early signs of fluid retention, a common issue in heart failure, allowing for timely interventions.
Choice C Reason:
Reminding the client to ask for the pneumococcal vaccine during their next provider appointment is a preventive measure aimed at reducing the risk of infections, which can exacerbate heart failure. This intervention falls under primary prevention, as it aims to prevent the occurrence of a new health issue (pneumonia) rather than managing an existing condition.
Choice D Reason:
While assessing for edema is important in managing heart failure, it is more of a diagnostic activity rather than an intervention. Tertiary prevention involves interventions to manage and mitigate the effects of an existing disease.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A: Impaired Transferability
Impaired transferability typically refers to an individual's difficulty in moving from one place to another, often due to physical limitations. This is a personal health diagnosis rather than a community diagnosis. Community diagnoses focus on broader issues that affect the health of the entire community rather than individual health problems.
Choice B: Disturbed Sleep Pattern
A disturbed sleep pattern is an individual health issue that affects a person's sleep quality and duration. While sleep issues can be prevalent in a community, this term is more commonly used in individual health assessments. Community diagnoses address collective health concerns that impact the community as a whole.
Choice C: Risk for Infection
Risk for infection is a term used to describe the potential for an individual to develop an infection. Although infection control can be a community health concern, this term is generally used in the context of individual health assessments. Community diagnoses would focus on factors contributing to the spread of infections within the community.
Choice D: Alteration in Family Health Management
This is the correct choice. Alteration in family health management refers to changes or challenges in how families manage their health and well-being. This can include issues such as access to healthcare, health education, and support systems. As a community diagnosis, it addresses the collective health management practices of families within the community, making it a broader public health concern.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A Reason:
The portal of entry refers to the site through which pathogens enter the body. While handwashing can indirectly affect the portal of entry by reducing the number of pathogens on the hands, it primarily targets the mode of transmission. The portal of entry includes areas such as the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and breaks in the skin.
Choice B Reason:
The susceptible host is an individual who is at risk of infection due to factors such as age, underlying health conditions, or weakened immune systems. Handwashing does not directly alter the susceptibility of the host but rather reduces the likelihood of the host coming into contact with pathogens.
Choice C Reason:
The portal of exit is the site from which pathogens leave the host to infect another individual. Common portals of exit include the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and open wounds. Handwashing does not directly impact the portal of exit but helps prevent the spread of pathogens from one person to another.
Choice D Reason:
Mode of transmission refers to the way pathogens are transferred from one host to another. Handwashing is a critical intervention that targets this link in the chain of transmission by removing pathogens from the hands, thereby preventing their spread through direct contact or contact with contaminated surfaces. This is why proper handwashing technique is emphasized in infection control practices.

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