Diagnosing Infectious Disease

Let’s say Teresa came in with a severe abnormal headache, skin rashes, high fever, and a

stiff neck. The patient can also present with confusion or difficulty breathing and seizures.

Headache with nausea or vomiting can also be present. Also, the patient can present with a lack

of appetite. These are the symptoms that patients experience with meningitis according to Mace

(2008). Therefore, we will want to collect a blood sample. We advise the patient to position

themselves on a chair or a bed. We then prepare for blood collection by preparing the equipment

and washing the hands. We then select a suitable site for venipuncture. After that, we would put

on non-latex gloves and palpate for a vein. When a vein has been chosen, we cleanse the area in

a circular motion. The cleansing has to begin at the site and work outward. We then ask the

patient to make a fist and avoid pumping. When the last tube is filling, we remove the tourniquet.

We then remove the needle and immediately place gauze on the puncture site.