Choice D rationale

The symptoms described - edema, severe pain, paresthesia, and tightness of the operative limb

- are indicative of Compartment Syndrome. This is a serious condition that can occur after surgery, where increased pressure within one of the body’s compartments results in insufficient blood supply to the area. It requires immediate treatment to prevent permanent damage.

Choice A rationale

While wound infection is a possible post-operative complication, it would typically present with symptoms such as redness, increased pain at the wound site, purulent discharge, and possibly fever. The symptoms described do not specifically indicate a wound infection.

Choice B rationale

Internal bleeding could cause pain and swelling, but it would likely also present with signs of shock, such as low blood pressure, increased heart rate, and altered mental status. The symptoms provided do not clearly indicate internal bleeding.

Choice C rationale

Graft rupture is a serious complication that could potentially cause severe pain and swelling. However, it would also likely cause significant hemodynamic instability, including hypotension and tachycardia. The symptoms described are more indicative of Compartment Syndrome.

Choice A rationale

The infectious agent is the pathogen that causes the disease, and the reservoir is where the infectious agent lives and multiplies. Hand washing does not directly intervene between these two links.

Choice B rationale

The mode of transmission is how the infectious agent travels to other people and places, and the portal of entry is the route by which an infectious agent enters a new host. Hand washing does not directly intervene between these two links.

Choice C rationale

The susceptible host is a person who is vulnerable to the disease, and the infectious agent is the pathogen that causes the disease. Hand washing does not directly intervene between these two links.

Choice D rationale

The portal of exit is the route by which an infectious agent escapes or leaves the reservoir, and the mode of transmission is how the infectious agent travels to other people and places. Hand washing directly intervenes between these two links by removing the infectious agent from the hands (portal of exit) and preventing its transmission to other people or surfaces.