The nurse in the emergency department notes that several patients are demonstrating illness patterns that could indicate an unusual infectious disease process. What did the nurse assess that indicates a possible biological infection in these patients?

Question

Select all that apply.
1. Patients present with symptoms of a rare disease.
2. The disease pattern is inconsistent with the age of the patient.
3. Multiple patients are presenting with viral-like symptoms.
4. The patients are all coming from the same geographic area.
5. Patients are all over the age of 39, indicating a smallpox exposure.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1,2,4

Healthcare providers should be alert to illness patterns that could indicate an unusual infectious disease outbreak. Indicators of a biological agent release include increased disease incidence among people in the same geographical area (e.g., people who attended the same event); a disease pattern inconsistent with patients' age, such as chickenpox among adults; and patient presenting with symptoms of a rare disease. In these cases, the nurse should notify the chain of command including the infectious disease nurse. Multiple people presenting with viral-like symptoms may merely be associated with normal exposure to a highly contagious virus. If all the patients are over 39 years old, this does not necessarily indicate exposure to smallpox. The patients should be assessed for the clinical manifestations associated with smallpox. Children and young adults are equally susceptible to smallpox.