Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The term "remission" accurately describes a secondary latency phase in certain diseases where symptoms decrease or disappear temporarily. This phase represents a period of reduced disease activity, following an acute episode, during which the patient may feel better and experience minimal or no signs of illness. It distinctly indicates a reprieve from the severity of symptoms but does not imply a complete cure.

In many chronic diseases, after an acute phase—characterized by severe symptoms—patients can enter remission, where the disease's effects are not active, allowing for recovery. However, this state can be fleeting, and it is common for another acute phase to occur later, highlighting the nature of the disease as one that can fluctuate between periods of exacerbation and relative stability.

The other options, while relevant in the context of disease progression, do not fit as accurately as "remission." Convalescence refers specifically to the recovery period following an illness, not necessarily a latency phase. The acute phase describes the initial onset of severe symptoms and does not act as a latency phase. The subclinical acute phase suggests a time when symptoms are not overtly present but does not capture the essence of a temporary remission of disease activity.