NCLEX® Question of the Day: Anthrax infection
Nov 12, 2024
Ready for today’s NCLEX-RN® question? Test your knowledge by determining how you should answer this patient's question about how our bodies react to Anthrax infections.
The nurse is caring for a patient recovering from an anthrax infection. The client asks the nurse, “My doctor told me this is caused by a bacterial infection, so why can’t my body fight it off?” Which is the best response by the nurse?
A. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has spores which are hard to destroy.”
B. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has cilia, which makes it easier for it to enter the lungs and stomach.”
C. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has a cell wall which secretes the dangerous anthrax toxin.”
D. “The bacteria that causes anthrax is only transmitted through the nares, which increases susceptibility.”
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today's NCLEX-RN® Question is...
A. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has spores which are hard to destroy.”
Rationale: The bacteria that causes anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) has spores, which are difficult to contain and treat. Spores can germinate and reactivate an infection.
Major Takeaway
The pathology of anthrax varies depending on the organ system that is infected; however, the reason anthrax is so dangerous is due to its spores. A spore is a type of cell produced by the Bacillus anthracis bacteria that allows it to reproduce on its own, otherwise known as asexual reproduction. This means that spores do not contain the active infection, but when they germinate or reproduce, an active infection can develop. In the skin, cutaneous anthrax occurs when spores of Bacillus anthracis come in contact with an open wound or other break in the skin. Here, spores germinate and give rise to the active bacteria, which produce the anthrax toxin. The anthrax toxin locally damages the surrounding tissue, eventually causing skin ulceration and edema. In the lungs, inhalation anthrax develops when the person inhales spores, and they eventually end up within the lung alveoli. Next, alveolar macrophages engulf the spores and transport them to regional mediastinal lymph nodes. But when macrophages fail to contain the infection, the spores germinate, produce the anthrax toxin, and cause local tissue destruction, including hemorrhagic mediastinitis. In the gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal anthrax causes spores to germinate, producing active bacteria that secrete the anthrax toxin. As a result, local destruction of the gastrointestinal mucosa can eventually lead to ulcerations and bleeding. Finally, injection anthrax occurs when an individual injects spore-contaminated heroin. The anthrax spores are injected directly into the body, and once the toxin is produced, it leads to local tissue damage as well as gastrointestinal or central nervous system manifestations.
Incorrect Answer Explanations
B. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has cilia, which makes it easier for it to enter the lungs and stomach.”Rationale: The bacteria that causes anthrax do not have cilia, and further, this is not the reason that the anthrax-causing bacteria makes it difficult for the body to fight off.
C. “The bacteria that causes anthrax has a cell wall which secretes the dangerous anthrax toxin.”
Rationale: The bacteria that causes anthrax is gram-positive, meaning it has a cell wall. Even so, this is not the part of the bacteria that secretes the anthrax toxin.
D. “The bacteria that causes anthrax is only transmitted through the nares, which increases susceptibility.”
Rationale: Anthrax can be transmitted through the skin, inhaled into the lungs via the nares, ingested into the gastrointestinal tract or injected intravenously, therefore this statement is not appropriate.
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