1
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ACTUAL EXAM
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES 2026 JUST RELEASED VERSION
1. A 20 year-old client has an infected leg wound from a motorcycle accident, and
the client has returned home from the hospital. The client is to keep the affected
leg elevated and is on contact precautions. The client wants to know if visitors
can come. The appropriate response from the home health nurse is that:
a. Visitors must wear a mask and a gown
b. There are no special requirements for visitors of clients on contact
c. Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client
d. Visitors should wear gloves if they touch the client
C-
Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client Gown and
gloves are worn by persons coming in contact with the wounds or infected
equipment. Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client.
2. Several clients are admitted to an adult medical unit. The nurse would
ensure airborne precautions for a client with which medical condition?
a. Autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with cytomegalovirus (CMV)
b. A positive purified protein derivative with an abnormal chest x-ray
c. A tentative diagnosis of viral pneumonia with productive brown sputum.
d. Advanced carcinoma of the lung with hemoptysis
B-
A positive purified protein derivative with an abnormal chest x-ray. The client
who must be placed in airborne precautions is the client with a positive PPD
(purified protein derivative) who has a positive x-ray for a suspicious tuberculin
lesion. A sputum smear for acid fast bacillus would be done next. CMV usually
causes no signs or symptoms in children and adults with healthy immune systems.
When signs and symptoms do occur, they''re often similar to those of
mononucleosis, including: sore throat, fever, muscle aches, fatigue. Good
handwashing is recommended for CMV.
3. A child is admitted to the pediatric unit with a diagnosis of suspected
meningococcal meningitis. Which admission orders should the nurse do
first?
,2
a. Institute seizure precautions
b. Monitor neurologic status every hour
c. Place in respiratory/secretion precautions
d. Cefataxime IV 50 mg/kg/day divided q6h
C-
Meningococcal meningitis has the risk of being a bacterial infection. The initial
therapeutic management of acute bacterial meningitis includes
respiratory/secretions precautions, initiation
,3
of antimicrobial therapy, monitor neurological status along with vital signs,
institute seizure precautions and lastly maintenance of optimum hydration. The
first action is for nurses to take any necessary precautions to protect themselves
and others from possible infection. Viral meningitis usually does not require
protective measures of isolation.
4. A client is diagnosed with methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
pneumonia. What type of isolation is most appropriate for this client?
a. Reverse
b. Airbourne
c. Standard precautions
d. Contact
D-
Contact precautions or Body Substance Isolation (BSI) involves the use of barrier
protection (e.g. gloves, mask, gown, or protective eyewear as appropriate)
whenever direct contact with any body fluid is expected. When determining the
type of isolation to use, one must consider the mode of transmission. The hands
of personnel continue to be the principal mode of transmission for methicillin
resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Because the organism is limited to the
sputum in this example, precautions are taken if contact with the patient''s
sputum is expected. A private room and contact precautions , along with good
hand washing techniques, are the best defenses against the spread of MRSA
pneumonia.
5. Which of these clients with associated lab reports is a priority for the nurse
to report to the public health department within the next 24 hours?
a. An infant with a positive culture of stool of Shigella
b. An elderly factory worker with a lab report that is positive for acid-fast bacillus
smear
c. A young adult commercial pilot with a positive histopathological examination
from an induced sputum for Pneumocystis carinii
d. A middle-aged nurse with a history of varicella-zoster virus and with crops of
vesicles on an erythematous base that appear on the skin
B-
Tuberculosis is a reportable disease because persons who had contact with the
client must be traced and often must be treated with chemoprophylaxis for a
designated time. Options a and d may need contact isolation precautions. Option
, 4
c findings may indicate the initial stage of the autoimmune deficency syndrome
(AIDS).
6. A client is scheduled to receive an oral solution of radioactive iodine (131I). In
order to reduce hazards, the priority information for the nurse to include during
the instructions to the client is which of these statements?
a. In the initial 48 hours avoid contact with children and pregnant women, and
after urination or defecation flush the commode twice
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ACTUAL EXAM
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES 2026 JUST RELEASED VERSION
1. A 20 year-old client has an infected leg wound from a motorcycle accident, and
the client has returned home from the hospital. The client is to keep the affected
leg elevated and is on contact precautions. The client wants to know if visitors
can come. The appropriate response from the home health nurse is that:
a. Visitors must wear a mask and a gown
b. There are no special requirements for visitors of clients on contact
c. Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client
d. Visitors should wear gloves if they touch the client
C-
Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client Gown and
gloves are worn by persons coming in contact with the wounds or infected
equipment. Visitors should wash their hands before and after touching the client.
2. Several clients are admitted to an adult medical unit. The nurse would
ensure airborne precautions for a client with which medical condition?
a. Autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with cytomegalovirus (CMV)
b. A positive purified protein derivative with an abnormal chest x-ray
c. A tentative diagnosis of viral pneumonia with productive brown sputum.
d. Advanced carcinoma of the lung with hemoptysis
B-
A positive purified protein derivative with an abnormal chest x-ray. The client
who must be placed in airborne precautions is the client with a positive PPD
(purified protein derivative) who has a positive x-ray for a suspicious tuberculin
lesion. A sputum smear for acid fast bacillus would be done next. CMV usually
causes no signs or symptoms in children and adults with healthy immune systems.
When signs and symptoms do occur, they''re often similar to those of
mononucleosis, including: sore throat, fever, muscle aches, fatigue. Good
handwashing is recommended for CMV.
3. A child is admitted to the pediatric unit with a diagnosis of suspected
meningococcal meningitis. Which admission orders should the nurse do
first?
,2
a. Institute seizure precautions
b. Monitor neurologic status every hour
c. Place in respiratory/secretion precautions
d. Cefataxime IV 50 mg/kg/day divided q6h
C-
Meningococcal meningitis has the risk of being a bacterial infection. The initial
therapeutic management of acute bacterial meningitis includes
respiratory/secretions precautions, initiation
,3
of antimicrobial therapy, monitor neurological status along with vital signs,
institute seizure precautions and lastly maintenance of optimum hydration. The
first action is for nurses to take any necessary precautions to protect themselves
and others from possible infection. Viral meningitis usually does not require
protective measures of isolation.
4. A client is diagnosed with methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
pneumonia. What type of isolation is most appropriate for this client?
a. Reverse
b. Airbourne
c. Standard precautions
d. Contact
D-
Contact precautions or Body Substance Isolation (BSI) involves the use of barrier
protection (e.g. gloves, mask, gown, or protective eyewear as appropriate)
whenever direct contact with any body fluid is expected. When determining the
type of isolation to use, one must consider the mode of transmission. The hands
of personnel continue to be the principal mode of transmission for methicillin
resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Because the organism is limited to the
sputum in this example, precautions are taken if contact with the patient''s
sputum is expected. A private room and contact precautions , along with good
hand washing techniques, are the best defenses against the spread of MRSA
pneumonia.
5. Which of these clients with associated lab reports is a priority for the nurse
to report to the public health department within the next 24 hours?
a. An infant with a positive culture of stool of Shigella
b. An elderly factory worker with a lab report that is positive for acid-fast bacillus
smear
c. A young adult commercial pilot with a positive histopathological examination
from an induced sputum for Pneumocystis carinii
d. A middle-aged nurse with a history of varicella-zoster virus and with crops of
vesicles on an erythematous base that appear on the skin
B-
Tuberculosis is a reportable disease because persons who had contact with the
client must be traced and often must be treated with chemoprophylaxis for a
designated time. Options a and d may need contact isolation precautions. Option
, 4
c findings may indicate the initial stage of the autoimmune deficency syndrome
(AIDS).
6. A client is scheduled to receive an oral solution of radioactive iodine (131I). In
order to reduce hazards, the priority information for the nurse to include during
the instructions to the client is which of these statements?
a. In the initial 48 hours avoid contact with children and pregnant women, and
after urination or defecation flush the commode twice
