A client has been on an antibiotic for 2 weeks for treatment of an ulcer caused by Helicobacter pylori. The client asks the nurse if the antibiotic could be causing diarrhea. What is the nurse's most accurate response?

Question

1. "The infection has become severe."
2. "This might be a secondary infection due to the antibiotic therapy."
3. "The infection has a restricted group of microorganisms."
4. "The organisms that caused the infection have developed immunity to the drug."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: There is another, more likely reason for the diarrhea.
Rationale 2: A superinfection is a side effect of antibiotic therapy.
Rationale 3: This is a true statement but does not answer the client's question.
Rationale 4: This is not a symptom of immunity.
Global Rationale: The appearance of a new infection while receiving anti-infective therapy is highly suspicious of a superinfection. Signs and symptoms of superinfection commonly include diarrhea, bladder pain, painful urination, or abnormal vaginal discharges. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are more likely to cause superinfections because they kill many microbial species, which sometimes includes host flora. Organisms that commonly cause superinfections are Clostridium albicans in the vagina, streptococci in the oral cavity, and Clostridium difficile in the colon.