Practice Question
A nurse is reinforcing education to the family of a client who has infective endocarditis. Which of the following statements made by the nurse is accurate regarding this condition?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
"Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium resulting from a bloodborne pathogen that adheres to an injured part of the endocardium."
Rationale:
🟣 Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart, typically affecting the heart valves or damaged endocardial tissue.
🟣 It usually occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream (bacteremia) and adhere to an area of endocardial injury, forming vegetations (clumps of platelets, fibrin, microorganisms).
🟣 Children with structural heart disease, prior valve damage, or prosthetic valves are at increased risk due to areas of turbulent flow and endothelial injury.
🟣 This definition accurately describes both the source (bloodborne pathogen) and the mechanism (adherence to injured endocardium).
🟣 Educating families with this explanation helps them understand why prevention (e.g., good oral hygiene, sometimes prophylactic antibiotics) is so important.
“Endocarditis and its sequalae are localized to the heart and do not typically impact other parts of the body.”
🟣 This statement is incorrect, because the complications of endocarditis are often systemic, not limited to the heart.
🟣 Vegetations can break off, forming emboli that travel to the brain, kidneys, lungs, spleen, or extremities, causing strokes, infarctions, or other organ damage.
🟣 Endocarditis can also lead to septicemia, systemic inflammatory response, and multi-organ involvement.
🟣 Therefore, the sequelae definitely impact other parts of the body, making this statement misleading and unsafe.
🟣 Teaching families that it is “localized” minimizes the serious systemic risks of the condition.
“Only children with congenital heart disease are at risk for endocarditis, so your child likely has an underlying condition.”
🟣 While congenital heart disease is a major risk factor for infective endocarditis, it is not the only risk factor, and the condition can occur in other contexts.
🟣 Risk factors also include rheumatic heart disease, prosthetic valves, prior endocarditis, indwelling catheters, or IV drug use (especially in adults).
🟣 Stating that “only” children with congenital heart disease are at risk is factually incorrect and may cause unnecessary alarm or guilt in the family.
🟣 Additionally, the family should be informed based on diagnostic findings, not assumptions that their child “likely has an underlying condition” solely because of endocarditis.
🟣 Thus, this option is inaccurate and non-therapeutic.
“Endocarditis only occurs in children who are immunocompromised, because they are not able to fight off the bacterial infection in the heart.”
🟣 Immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk for infections, but endocarditis is not limited to this group.
🟣 Many children who develop endocarditis have structural heart disease or endothelial injury, even if their immune system is otherwise normal.
🟣 Saying it “only occurs” in immunocompromised children is incorrect and can mislead families about their child’s risk factors and prognosis.
🟣 This wording also implies that the problem is primarily the immune system, not the cardiac structure and bacteremia, which misrepresents the disease mechanism.
🟣 Therefore, this statement is not accurate patient education about infective endocarditis.
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This question is from Custom PNSG Respiratory Cardiac Exam Fall 2025 which contains 42 questions.
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From Exam
Custom PNSG Respiratory Cardiac Exam Fall 2025
42 Questions
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- Category: LPN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: LPN ATI Exams
- Domain: 💫PN Custom Exam(s)
- Answer Choices: 4