Med-Surg Infection & Inflammation Exam
Questions With Verified Answers
What are the 6 links to the chain of infection - ANSWER Infectious agent, reservoirs,
exit, transmission, entry, susceptible host
How can the chain of infection be stopped - ANSWER If any link is broken
What is an infectious agent? What determines infection? - ANSWER Pathogen.
Virulence, organism survival, number of organisms, host defenses.
Examples of reservoirs - ANSWER Insects, animals, humans, soil, water, feces, sinks,
toilets, bed rails, linens
What makes a good reservoir - ANSWER Nutrient rich, moisture, warm, dark, oxygen,
sugar, pH
What are examples of portal of exit - ANSWER Bodily fluids, blood, mucous, saliva,
breast milk, urine, feces, vomitus, semen, cuts, bites, abrasions, puncture sites, I V lines
What are modes of transmission? What are examples? - ANSWER Contact, droplet,
airborne, or vector. Sexual, skin-to-skin, air particles.
Fomites - Sneeze into hand, pens, keyboard, papers, door knobs.
What are examples of portal of entry - ANSWER Conjunctiva of eyes, nares, mouth,
urethra, vagina, anus, surgical incisions, puncture sites, cuts, scrapes, vectors that bite.
What makes a host susceptible - ANSWER Nutrition, hygiene, sleep, stress, exercise &
activity, comorbidities, immunizations, age, arthritis & asthma (corticosteroid use),
transplant patients, burn, cancer, alcoholics, homeless.
, True or false: Colonization indicates a host interaction with the organism - ANSWER
False. This is infection. Colonization is microorganisms present without host
interference or interaction.
True or false: Disease is when an infected host displays a decline in wellness due to the
infection. - ANSWER True
True or false: Infection indicates a host interaction with the organism. - ANSWER True
How can colonization be determined - ANSWER Microbiology tests and reports. This is
a primary source of information about bacterial infections
What is indicative of an infection - ANSWER Immune system reaction, local
inflammation, migration of white blood cells
If a host is positive for an infection but does not show any symptoms are they
considered to have the disease - ANSWER No. If a person is symptom free such as
with TB they are infected but not diseased
What surrounds a bacteria as it invades - ANSWER Antigens. Allows the bodies white
blood cells to recognize it as foreign.
What is the primary line of defense - ANSWER Skin & Secretions that help flush out
microorganisms
Example of primary line of defense - ANSWER Skin, respiratory tree [nares & cilia],
lacrimal glands, tears, saliva, normal flora in mouth and intestines, bile, peristalsis,
vomiting, diarrhea, acidic stomach, urine & vagina, leukocytes, and lymph system.
What is the second line of defense - ANSWER Inflammation
What are examples of the second line of defense - ANSWER Phagocytosis,
complement cascade, inflammation, fever.
What is phagocytosis - ANSWER White blood cells engulf & destroy pathogens.
Monocytes differentiate into macrophages.
What is the complement cascade - ANSWER Complement proteins trigger release of
chemicals that destroy cell membranes; signals basophils to release histamines &
causes inflammation
How does fever work in second line of defense - ANSWER Increases metabolism,
inhibits multiplication of pathogens, triggers specific immune response
What is the third line of defense - ANSWER Immunity
Questions With Verified Answers
What are the 6 links to the chain of infection - ANSWER Infectious agent, reservoirs,
exit, transmission, entry, susceptible host
How can the chain of infection be stopped - ANSWER If any link is broken
What is an infectious agent? What determines infection? - ANSWER Pathogen.
Virulence, organism survival, number of organisms, host defenses.
Examples of reservoirs - ANSWER Insects, animals, humans, soil, water, feces, sinks,
toilets, bed rails, linens
What makes a good reservoir - ANSWER Nutrient rich, moisture, warm, dark, oxygen,
sugar, pH
What are examples of portal of exit - ANSWER Bodily fluids, blood, mucous, saliva,
breast milk, urine, feces, vomitus, semen, cuts, bites, abrasions, puncture sites, I V lines
What are modes of transmission? What are examples? - ANSWER Contact, droplet,
airborne, or vector. Sexual, skin-to-skin, air particles.
Fomites - Sneeze into hand, pens, keyboard, papers, door knobs.
What are examples of portal of entry - ANSWER Conjunctiva of eyes, nares, mouth,
urethra, vagina, anus, surgical incisions, puncture sites, cuts, scrapes, vectors that bite.
What makes a host susceptible - ANSWER Nutrition, hygiene, sleep, stress, exercise &
activity, comorbidities, immunizations, age, arthritis & asthma (corticosteroid use),
transplant patients, burn, cancer, alcoholics, homeless.
, True or false: Colonization indicates a host interaction with the organism - ANSWER
False. This is infection. Colonization is microorganisms present without host
interference or interaction.
True or false: Disease is when an infected host displays a decline in wellness due to the
infection. - ANSWER True
True or false: Infection indicates a host interaction with the organism. - ANSWER True
How can colonization be determined - ANSWER Microbiology tests and reports. This is
a primary source of information about bacterial infections
What is indicative of an infection - ANSWER Immune system reaction, local
inflammation, migration of white blood cells
If a host is positive for an infection but does not show any symptoms are they
considered to have the disease - ANSWER No. If a person is symptom free such as
with TB they are infected but not diseased
What surrounds a bacteria as it invades - ANSWER Antigens. Allows the bodies white
blood cells to recognize it as foreign.
What is the primary line of defense - ANSWER Skin & Secretions that help flush out
microorganisms
Example of primary line of defense - ANSWER Skin, respiratory tree [nares & cilia],
lacrimal glands, tears, saliva, normal flora in mouth and intestines, bile, peristalsis,
vomiting, diarrhea, acidic stomach, urine & vagina, leukocytes, and lymph system.
What is the second line of defense - ANSWER Inflammation
What are examples of the second line of defense - ANSWER Phagocytosis,
complement cascade, inflammation, fever.
What is phagocytosis - ANSWER White blood cells engulf & destroy pathogens.
Monocytes differentiate into macrophages.
What is the complement cascade - ANSWER Complement proteins trigger release of
chemicals that destroy cell membranes; signals basophils to release histamines &
causes inflammation
How does fever work in second line of defense - ANSWER Increases metabolism,
inhibits multiplication of pathogens, triggers specific immune response
What is the third line of defense - ANSWER Immunity
