Sexually Transmitted Infections

Every question here, with the answer

1. At 1400, a hospitalized patient reports painful urination and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. The nurse is documenting the assessment and planned next action. Which entry is most appropriate?

   1. Symptoms attributed to chlamydia; plan to request treatment without further diagnostic testing.
   2. Findings consistent with a UTI; plan to limit further evaluation to urinary infection.
   3. Symptoms suggest a possible STI; plan to notify the care team and request further testing and treatment as needed.
   4. Possible STI symptoms identified; plan to defer evaluation to outpatient follow-up because most STIs are treated there.

   Answer: Symptoms suggest a possible STI; plan to notify the care team and request further testing and treatment as needed.

   In the hospital, suspected STI findings should prompt care-team notification and a request for appropriate testing and treatment. These symptoms can resemble a UTI, so limiting evaluation to urinary infection or attributing them specifically to chlamydia is not supported by the findings alone. The availability of outpatient treatment does not justify postponing evaluation during hospitalization.

2. At a 1600 follow-up after STI treatment, a patient reports improved but persistent symptoms, distress about STI-related stigma, and uncertainty about prevention and where to obtain further care. Which entries appropriately reflect the nursing evaluation? Select all that apply.

   1. Symptoms have improved but remain present; continue evaluating for resolution or progression.
   2. Patient has unanswered prevention questions and needs help identifying resources; further education and resource identification are needed.
   3. Prevention education complete because the patient has received medical treatment.
   4. Patient reports stigma-related distress; psychological care needs further evaluation.
   5. Treatment successful; infection eradicated based on the patient's report of symptom improvement.

   Answer: Symptoms have improved but remain present; continue evaluating for resolution or progression., Patient has unanswered prevention questions and needs help identifying resources; further education and resource identification are needed., Patient reports stigma-related distress; psychological care needs further evaluation.

   STI evaluation includes physical and psychological care, patient education, and resource identification. Persistent symptoms, stigma-related distress, and unanswered questions support documenting ongoing needs in these areas. Symptom improvement alone does not establish eradication, and receiving medical treatment does not demonstrate that education is complete.

3. At a 1000 follow-up visit, a patient with diagnosed HSV reports that the sores have healed and says, "That means the infection is gone." The nurse provides follow-up teaching. Which entry appropriately documents the teaching needed?

   1. Explained that the infection can be considered resolved once sores and flu-like symptoms are absent.
   2. Explained that HSV is lifelong and that periods without sores do not mean the infection has ended.
   3. Explained that an antibody test is needed to determine whether healing eliminated HSV.
   4. Explained that a swab of a future sore is needed before determining whether HSV persists between outbreaks.

   Answer: Explained that HSV is lifelong and that periods without sores do not mean the infection has ended.

   HSV is lifelong, so a period without sores does not establish that the infection has ended. Antibody testing indicates previous exposure, not whether healing eliminated HSV. A sore swab can help establish an uncertain diagnosis, but a future swab is not needed before teaching a patient with diagnosed HSV about its lifelong nature.