NUR 236 PrepU Chapter 37: Nursing Care of the Child With an Infectious or Communicable Disorder

The rash in roseola is pruritic. Which measure would you teach the parent to provide comfort?

Apply cool compresses to the skin to stop local itching.

The nurse is discussing fever with the parents of a child who is in the emergency department with a temperature of 101°F (38.3°C). Which statement by a parent indicates an understanding of fevers and their management in the ill child?

"Fevers can be beneficial because they can slow down the growth of the bacteria or virus that may be causing the infection."

A child has been diagnosed with hookworm. The nurse is teaching the parent about the treatment for the condition. Which statement made by the parent confirms that further education is needed?

"My child can play outside bare footed when treatment is done."

The parents of a 3-year-old child report he was exposed to pertussis 2 days ago. They are concerned and ask the nurse how long it will take until he becomes ill if he indeed contracted the infection. What response by the nurse is indicated?

"The signs of disease will be noted in 1 to 3 weeks."

The nurse is providing teaching to the parents of a child with varicella. Which statement indicates that the parents have understood the instructions?

"We need to make sure that he washes his hands frequently."

A school-aged child is recovering from varicella. The parent calls the school nurse and states, "my child is feeling much better" and asks when the child can return to school. What information does the nurse provide the parent?

"Your child may return to school when all of the lesions have crusted over."

The physician has ordered ibuprofen 150 mg every 6 hours as needed for a 3-year-old child for a fever greater than 38°C (100.4°F). The label of the ibuprofen bottle reads "ibuprofen oral suspension 100 mg/5 ml." How much ibuprofen liquid will the nurse administer if the child's temperature goes above 38°C (100.4°F)? Record your answer using one decimal place.

7.5

The nurse is caring for a child whose family recently emigrated from a developing country. While completing the admission history, the parents report all the child's immunizations are up to date. Which nursing action is most appropriate?

Ask parents which immunizations have been given.

The nurse is talking to the parents of a 2-month-old infant who has been admitted to the hospital with sepsis. The parents report being confused since their older children also had the flu but they recovered without incident. What information can the nurse provide to the parents?

Children this young do not have mature immune systems to fight infection.

A nursing instructor is teaching the students about the standard and transmission-based precautions. What type of precautions require placing a client in an isolated room with limited access, wearing gloves during contact with the client and all body fluids or contaminated items, wearing two layers of protective clothing, and avoiding sharing equipment between clients?

Contact precautions

The mother of a 10-year-old child diagnosed with rubella asks what can be done to help her child feel better during her illness. What information can be provided?

Encourage rest and relaxation.

What is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis and death?

Group B streptococcus

A nursing instructor has presented a class on the stages of an infectious disease to a group of students and asks the students to place the stages in their proper sequence from beginning to end. Place the stages in their proper sequence.

Incubation Prodrome Illness Convalescence

A nurse is preparing a presentation for parents about common childhood infectious diseases. What conditions would the nurse include as being caused by a tick bite? Select all that apply.

Lyme disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever

A 7-year-old child with an earache comes to the clinic. The child's parent reports that 1 day ago the child had a fever and headache and did not want to play. When the nurse asks where it hurts, the child points to the jawline in front of the earlobe. What does the nurse expect the diagnosis will be for this child?

Mumps

The nurse is assessing a child who presents with a history of fever, malaise, fatigue, and headache. The nurse notes a bulls-eye rash on the child's right leg. Which action will the nurse take?

Notify the primary health care provider.

The student nurse is discussing the plan of care for a child admitted to the hospital for treatment of an infection. Which action should be taken first?

Obtain blood cultures.

A nurse practitioner suspects that a child has scarlet fever based on which assessment finding?

Red, strawberry tongue

A 9-month-old child has been admitted to rule out sepsis. Which finding offers the most support to the presence of this disorder?

The child has had 8 ounces of formula in the past 24 hours.

Parents bring their 9-year-old child to the clinic for a well-child visit. They are concerned because several children in the neighborhood have developed Lyme disease and ask for suggestions on what to do to reduce their child's risk. What would be appropriate for the nurse to suggest? Select all that apply.

Wearing protective clothing when playing in wooded areas. Inspecting the skin closely for ticks after the child plays in wooded areas. Contacting the health care provider if there is any area of inflammation that might be a bite.

A chief danger of scarlet fever is that children may develop:

acute glomerulonephritis.

A nurse is assessing a neonate with sepsis. The nurse understands that most commonly the cause involves:

bacteria.

A young client arrives at the clinic with a rash on the trunk and flexor surfaces of the extremities. The parent informs the nurse that the rash started a day before on the exterior surfaces of the extremities; 2 days before, the child had a really bad rash on the face. The health care provider diagnoses the child with erythema infectiosum. The nurse tells the parent that this is also known as:

fifth disease.

A young girl arrives at the emergency room after being bitten by a neighbor's dog. The mother is concerned her daughter will get rabies. The nurse carefully examines and treats the bite and questions the mother and daughter about the details surrounding the dog biting her. What information would most strongly indicate a risk for rabies infection in this client?

The dog was unprovoked when he bit the girl

After teaching a class to a group of nursing students about reporting infectious diseases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the instructor determines a need for additional discussion when the students identify which infection as being reportable:

pinworm

The nurse is caring for a child admitted to the hospital for sepsis. Which assessment finding is the most concerning?

urine output of 10 ml over 3 hours

When providing care for a child with herpes zoster (shingles), the parents ask the nurse how the child contracted this infectious disorder. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

"Herpes zoster is a reactivation of a previous varicella zoster infection."

The nurse is providing education to the parents of a 5-year-old with a fever. Which statements indicate the need for further instruction? Select all that apply.

"I can administer two baby aspirin tablets to my child every 4 to 6 hours for the fever." "Sponging my child with cold water can be a soothing way to manage the fever." "I should use a cooling fan in my child's room to keep the fever down."

The parents of a child voice concern to the nurse that they believe their child has Lyme disease but their physician won't do the proper testing. The nurse reviews the chart to determine if specific testing for the disease has been performed. Which tests is the nurse looking for?

enzyme immunoassay (EIA) immunofluorescent assay (IFA) Western immunoblot

The nurse assesses a child and notes the following: oral temperature 101.1°F (38.3°C), pruritis, and a generalized rash that develops in crops with macules, papules, vesicles, and crusts present. The parent reports the child is immunocompromised. Which health care provider prescription(s) will the nurse request? Select all that apply.

acyclovir liquid suspension complete blood count (CBC) placement in private hospital room diphenhydramine topical cream for itching

A group of nursing students are reviewing the functions of white blood cells. The students demonstrate an understanding of the information when they identify which white blood cell as responsible for combating allergic disorders?

eosinophils

A child is diagnosed with scarlet fever. History reveals that the child has no known drug allergies. When preparing the child's plan of care, the nurse would anticipate administering which agent as the drug of choice?

penicillin V

A child in the clinic has a fever and reports a sore neck. Upon assessment the nurse finds a swollen parotid gland. The nurse suspects which infectious disease?

Mumps

The nurse is caring for multiple clients on the pediatric unit. Which child will the nurse see first?

a child with erythema infectiosum experiencing fatigue and confusion