A patient walks into a community clinic complaining of severe intestin

A patient walks into a community clinic complaining of severe intestinal cramps and diarrhea. Which of the following actions can be taken to protect the staff at the clinic?

a. Refuse to see anyone that sick as clinics have a different mission than secondary and tertiary care of the obviously ill
b. Send the patient immediately to the closest hospital emergency department
c. Treat the patient with broad-spectrum antibiotics and lots of fluids
d. Use universal precautions with all patients regardless of the situation

ESSAYBID ANSWER

ANS: D
In the late 1980s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a set of guidelines, called universal precautions, to prevent transmission of diseases found in blood and other body fluids. These guidelines were developed because infected people may be asymptomatic and have no knowledge of their conditions; therefore, health care workers must assume that all patients are infectious and protect themselves. Refusing to treat the patient, sending the patient to an emergency department, or treating the patient with antibiotics and fluids would not be appropriate measures to protect the staff.