VNSG 1423 Exam UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Microorganisms/Microbes - CORRECT ANSWER Living creatures that are too small
to see with the naked eye
Pathogens - CORRECT ANSWER organisms that cause disease
flora and fauna - CORRECT ANSWER Tiny plants and animals normally found in the
human body
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWER One-celled microorganisms found virtually anywhere.
Some are harmful; some are harmless.
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWER tiny particles, smaller than bacteria and other
pathogens, which must invade living cells in order to reproduce; when they invade, the cells
are damaged or destroyed in the process releasing new particles to infect other cells.
TREATED WITH ANTI VIRAL MEDICATION
Rickettsia - CORRECT ANSWER a kind of microorganism that is between a virus and
a bacterium; parasitic within the cells of insects and ticks
Protozoa - CORRECT ANSWER one-celled organisms that live in water. can be
ingested by humans through water or food. can cause intestinal illnesses.
TREATED W/ ANTI-INFECTIVES SPECIFIC FOR CAUSATIVE PROTOZOAN
Fungi - CORRECT ANSWER made up of one or more cells. not all fungi require
microscope to be seen/ cause illness when the enter cracks in skin.
FUNGAL INFECTION TREATED W/ ANTIVIRAL MEDICATION
Helminths - CORRECT ANSWER parasitic worms that can inhabit the digestive tract
of humans.
TREATED WITH ANTHELMINTICS/ANTIHELMINTHS
Vector - CORRECT ANSWER spread through the bites of insects, ticks, and mites
Staphylococcus aureus (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE :
Boils, toxic shock syndrome, osteomyelitis, and MRSA, which is a significant nosocomial
infection--both HA and CA forms
TREATMENT:
,Antibiotics, although most strains are not killed by penicillin; HA-MRSA is resistant to many
antibiotics and is treated with selected IV antibiotics
Streptococcus group A (gram-positive coccus)
(BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Strep throat, ear infections, scarlet fever, and endocarditis; can lead to rheumatic fever, heart
valve damage, transient kidney damage
"Flesh-eating strep" is a rare strain causing necrotizing fasciitis that can lead to death
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Streptococcus group B (gram-positive coccus)
(BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Neonatal infections, especially in premature births, causing pneumonia, meningitis, or
septicemia in newborns
TREATMENT:
IV antibiotics
Clostridium perfringens (gram-positive bacillus; spore forming) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Gas gangrene in contaminated wounds—spores live in dead tissue and produce toxins that
destroy more tissue, so bacteria spreads; gas forms bubbles in the dead tissue
TREATMENT:
Amputation of affected limb
Clostridium difficile (gram-positive bacillus; spore forming) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Severe diarrhea; often develops with antibiotic therapy and is called pseudomembranous
enterocolitis; this is a significant nosocomial pathogen
TREATMENT:
Few antibiotics are used to treat this; vancomycin and metronidazole are two used often
Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:Normally found in the colon but can cause infection if it enters
the urinary tract or other parts of the body; common cause of nosocomial infections
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
, Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Infection of colon causing bloody diarrhea and kidney failure, known as hemolytic uremic
"syndrome"; can be fatal; often results from consuming undercooked ground meat
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics, dialysis for kidney failure
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Tuberculosis that destroys lung tissue, leaving large cavities; drug-resistant strains are
becoming more common
TREATMENT:
Antituberculosis medications
Borrelia burgdorferi (spirochete) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Lyme disease; spirochete transmitted by deer tick to human, causing flu-like symptoms,
irregular heartbeat, and possible arthritis
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Rickettsia rickettsii (bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever spread by ticks; causes high fever, rash, and pneumonia and
can lead to death
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Herpes simplex
Herpesvirus 3 (varicella-zoster) (VIRUSES) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Type 1 causes fever blisters; type 2 causes genital herpes
Chickenpox is contracted first, and then the virus lies dormant in nerve endings; if reactivated
in adults, it causes shingles that results in painful blisters along nerve pathways
TREATMENT:
Antivirals such as acyclovir
Antiviral: acyclovir
Influenza (VIRUSES) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
"Flu" symptoms—aching muscles, fever, respiratory congestion, cough
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Microorganisms/Microbes - CORRECT ANSWER Living creatures that are too small
to see with the naked eye
Pathogens - CORRECT ANSWER organisms that cause disease
flora and fauna - CORRECT ANSWER Tiny plants and animals normally found in the
human body
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWER One-celled microorganisms found virtually anywhere.
Some are harmful; some are harmless.
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWER tiny particles, smaller than bacteria and other
pathogens, which must invade living cells in order to reproduce; when they invade, the cells
are damaged or destroyed in the process releasing new particles to infect other cells.
TREATED WITH ANTI VIRAL MEDICATION
Rickettsia - CORRECT ANSWER a kind of microorganism that is between a virus and
a bacterium; parasitic within the cells of insects and ticks
Protozoa - CORRECT ANSWER one-celled organisms that live in water. can be
ingested by humans through water or food. can cause intestinal illnesses.
TREATED W/ ANTI-INFECTIVES SPECIFIC FOR CAUSATIVE PROTOZOAN
Fungi - CORRECT ANSWER made up of one or more cells. not all fungi require
microscope to be seen/ cause illness when the enter cracks in skin.
FUNGAL INFECTION TREATED W/ ANTIVIRAL MEDICATION
Helminths - CORRECT ANSWER parasitic worms that can inhabit the digestive tract
of humans.
TREATED WITH ANTHELMINTICS/ANTIHELMINTHS
Vector - CORRECT ANSWER spread through the bites of insects, ticks, and mites
Staphylococcus aureus (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE :
Boils, toxic shock syndrome, osteomyelitis, and MRSA, which is a significant nosocomial
infection--both HA and CA forms
TREATMENT:
,Antibiotics, although most strains are not killed by penicillin; HA-MRSA is resistant to many
antibiotics and is treated with selected IV antibiotics
Streptococcus group A (gram-positive coccus)
(BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Strep throat, ear infections, scarlet fever, and endocarditis; can lead to rheumatic fever, heart
valve damage, transient kidney damage
"Flesh-eating strep" is a rare strain causing necrotizing fasciitis that can lead to death
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Streptococcus group B (gram-positive coccus)
(BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Neonatal infections, especially in premature births, causing pneumonia, meningitis, or
septicemia in newborns
TREATMENT:
IV antibiotics
Clostridium perfringens (gram-positive bacillus; spore forming) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Gas gangrene in contaminated wounds—spores live in dead tissue and produce toxins that
destroy more tissue, so bacteria spreads; gas forms bubbles in the dead tissue
TREATMENT:
Amputation of affected limb
Clostridium difficile (gram-positive bacillus; spore forming) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Severe diarrhea; often develops with antibiotic therapy and is called pseudomembranous
enterocolitis; this is a significant nosocomial pathogen
TREATMENT:
Few antibiotics are used to treat this; vancomycin and metronidazole are two used often
Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:Normally found in the colon but can cause infection if it enters
the urinary tract or other parts of the body; common cause of nosocomial infections
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
, Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Infection of colon causing bloody diarrhea and kidney failure, known as hemolytic uremic
"syndrome"; can be fatal; often results from consuming undercooked ground meat
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics, dialysis for kidney failure
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT
ANSWER DISEASE:
Tuberculosis that destroys lung tissue, leaving large cavities; drug-resistant strains are
becoming more common
TREATMENT:
Antituberculosis medications
Borrelia burgdorferi (spirochete) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Lyme disease; spirochete transmitted by deer tick to human, causing flu-like symptoms,
irregular heartbeat, and possible arthritis
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Rickettsia rickettsii (bacillus) (BACTERIA) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever spread by ticks; causes high fever, rash, and pneumonia and
can lead to death
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics
Herpes simplex
Herpesvirus 3 (varicella-zoster) (VIRUSES) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
Type 1 causes fever blisters; type 2 causes genital herpes
Chickenpox is contracted first, and then the virus lies dormant in nerve endings; if reactivated
in adults, it causes shingles that results in painful blisters along nerve pathways
TREATMENT:
Antivirals such as acyclovir
Antiviral: acyclovir
Influenza (VIRUSES) - CORRECT ANSWER DISEASE:
"Flu" symptoms—aching muscles, fever, respiratory congestion, cough
