Ambulatory Care Nurse Certification Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide for Successful Certification

The correct choice highlights that health care workers caring for low-risk patients do not represent a typical predisposing factor for developing a tubercle bacillus infection. This is because the likelihood of contracting tuberculosis (TB) generally increases in environments where exposure to the bacillus is more probable, such as with individuals who have been identified as having active TB or those in high-prevalence areas, rather than from low-risk patients.

Health care workers are trained to follow strict infection control protocols to minimize the risk of transmission, especially when dealing with patients who are not at high risk for infectious diseases. Those who care for low-risk patients are ideally not exposed to the conditions that would lead to developing an infection from the tubercle bacillus, assuming appropriate safety measures are in place.

In contrast, factors such as cirrhosis, alcoholism, and poor nutrition weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections, including tuberculosis. These conditions compromise the body's ability to fight off pathogens effectively, thereby increasing the risk of developing TB when exposed to the bacillus. Hence, these factors are considered predisposing.