A client who has been drinking alcohol for 30 years asks a nurse if permanent damage has occurred to his immune system. What is the best response by the nurse?

A client who has been drinking alcohol for 30 years asks a nurse if permanent damage has occurred to his immune system. What is the best response by the nurse?

• A. There is often less resistance to infections.
• B. Sometimes, the body's metabolism will increase.
• C. Put your energies into maintaining sobriety for now.
• D. Drinking puts you at high risk for disease later in life.

Answer: (A)

The best response by the nurse is that there is often less resistance to infections. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to significant immunosuppression, which diminishes the body's ability to fight off infections. Over years of heavy drinking, the immune system may become impaired due to the effects of alcohol on various components of immune function, including the production of antibodies and the function of white blood cells. By addressing the client's concerns about potential permanent damage to the immune system, this response validates the client's worries while providing factual information about the biological impact of long-term alcohol use on immune response. This understanding is crucial for the client, as it highlights the importance of sobriety not just for liver health but also for overall immune competence. The other choices provide relevant information but do not directly address the client's question about the immune system's status. A discussion of disease risk and a focus on sobriety are indeed vital in the context of substance abuse recovery but do not reassure the client regarding his specific concern about immune damage caused by prolonged alcohol use.

The best response by the nurse is that there is often less resistance to infections. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to significant immunosuppression, which diminishes the body's ability to fight off infections. Over years of heavy drinking, the immune system may become impaired due to the effects of alcohol on various components of immune function, including the production of antibodies and the function of white blood cells.

By addressing the client's concerns about potential permanent damage to the immune system, this response validates the client's worries while providing factual information about the biological impact of long-term alcohol use on immune response. This understanding is crucial for the client, as it highlights the importance of sobriety not just for liver health but also for overall immune competence.

The other choices provide relevant information but do not directly address the client's question about the immune system's status. A discussion of disease risk and a focus on sobriety are indeed vital in the context of substance abuse recovery but do not reassure the client regarding his specific concern about immune damage caused by prolonged alcohol use.