The infection control (IC) nurse has completed teaching newly hired nurses about the innate body defenses. Which statements by one of the participants would indicate the need for further instruction?

Question

Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. "Fever is one of the process barriers we can expect our clients to demonstrate."
2. "Complement is a component of the adaptive immune response."
3. "I should try to keep my client's skin and mucous membranes intact."
4. "Dendritic cells are part of the nervous system involved in keeping the immune system strong."
5. "Phagocytes are cells that kill invading bacteria."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2,4
Rationale 1: Fever is a process barrier of the innate body defenses.
Rationale 2: Complement is one of the process barriers of the innate body defenses.
Rationale 3: Skin and mucous membranes act as physical barriers to invasion by pathogens.
Rationale 4: Dendritic cells are one of the cellular barriers. Dendrites are part of the nervous system, but are not specifically charged with keeping the immune system strong.
Rationale 5: Phagocytes do kill invading bacteria.
Global Rationale: Innate body defenses are those present even before an infection has occurred and that provide the first line of protection from pathogens. These are sometimes referred to as nonspecific defenses because they are unable to distinguish one type of threat from another, the body's response is the same regardless of the particular pathogen. Components of the nonspecific body defenses include physical barriers such as the skin and mucous membranes, cellular barriers such as phagocytes, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells, and process barriers such as complement, fever, and inflammation.