Precautions
A nurse is caring for a 6-year-old with a rash described as small vesicles on red macules ("dewdrops on rose petals") that is very itchy. Which transmission-based precaution should the nurse implement?
C. Chickenpox requires airborne precautions (negative-pressure room if available). Vesicles on macules with intense itching are classic for varicella.
A nurse is preparing to administer a routine vaccine to a child who has a mild cold. The child has no other concerning symptoms. Which action is most appropriate?
A. Automatically cancel all immunizations.
B. Recognize that mild illness is not considered a contraindication.
C. Administer every vaccine regardless of the child's condition.
D. Give antibiotics before administering the vaccine.
B — Mild illness is not a contraindication.
The nurse receives reports on four pediatric patients. Which child should the nurse assess first?
A. A child with fifth disease who has a lacy rash and mild headache
B. A child with RSV who has retractions and poor air exchange
C. A child with hand, foot, and mouth disease who has painful oral vesicles
D. A child with mononucleosis who reports fatigue and a sore throat
B — The child with RSV and retractions. Airway and breathing problems take priority. Retractions and poor air exchange suggest impaired breathing and possible respiratory failure.
A nurse is teaching the parents of a child with hepatitis A. Which statement should the nurse include?
A. The illness is primarily spread through blood and sexual contact.
B. Strict hand hygiene is important to prevent transmission.
C. The child can spread the illness only through respiratory droplets.
D. Sharing toothbrushes is the primary route of transmission.
B — Strict hand hygiene. Hepatitis A spreads through the fecal-oral route, including contaminated food. Proper handwashing helps prevent transmission.
A nurse is caring for a child diagnosed with rubeola (measles). Which isolation precaution should the nurse implement?
A. Standard precautions only
B. Contact precautions
C. Droplet precautions
D. Airborne precautions
D — Airborne precautions. Measles (rubeola) spreads through the respiratory route and requires airborne isolation
A parent asks when their child with chickenpox may return to school. Which response by the nurse is most accurate?
B. Children may return to school only when all lesions have crusted over. Fever resolution or itching stopping is not the criterion.
A 16-year-old has fever, sore throat, extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and an enlarged spleen. Which instruction is most important for the nurse to include?
B. These are signs of mononucleosis. An enlarged spleen puts the child at risk for rupture, so contact activities must be avoided. Mono is viral, so antibiotics are ineffective, and the person may remain infectious for up to a year.
A nurse is caring for a child with RSV. The virus can survive on surfaces and spread through nasal secretions and hands. Which action is most important for reducing transmission?
A. Encourage the child to share toys with other children.
B. Perform careful hand hygiene.
C. Avoid cleaning the child's environment.
D. Use antibiotics for every exposed child.
B — Perform careful hand hygiene. RSV spreads through respiratory secretions and contaminated hands and surfaces. Hand hygiene is essential for reducing transmission.
A nurse is assigned to care for a child with fifth disease (erythema infectiosum). Which precaution is identified in the PowerPoint?
A. Airborne
B. Droplet
C. Contact
D. Protective isolation
B — Droplet precautions.
The nurse is teaching a group of adolescents about infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus). Which statements should be included? (Select all that apply.)
A, B, C, D. All are accurate for mononucleosis. E is incorrect because mono is viral, and antibiotics do not cure it.
A 7-year-old presents with bright red cheeks, followed by a lacy rash on the trunk and extremities. The rash is not itchy. The nurse recognizes this as which condition?
A. Slapped cheeks followed by a lacy, usually non-itchy rash describe erythema infectiosum (fifth disease
Per the chart, a child with measles should be excluded from school and child care until how long after the rash appears?
C. Exclude the child until 4 days after the rash appears.
A child is diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis. Which precautions does the PowerPoint identify?
A. Airborne
B. Droplet
C. Standard
D. Contact
C — Standard precautions.
A nurse is caring for a child with mumps. Which interventions are appropriate? (Select all that apply.)
A, B, C, D. Mumps care is supportive: compresses, analgesics, droplet precautions, and monitoring for complications. E is incorrect because there is no cure and the illness passes in 1 to 2 weeks.
A nurse is educating a parent about hepatitis B transmission. Which statement demonstrates understanding?
A. “Hepatitis B is spread mainly by contaminated food.” B. “My family should not share toothbrushes or razors.” C. “Hepatitis B spreads only through respiratory droplets.”
D. “Once symptoms disappear, the virus can never be transmitted.”
B — Do not share toothbrushes or razors. Hepatitis B spreads through infected blood and sexual contact. Sharing items that may contain blood can expose others to the virus.
The nurse is teaching a mother of a child with roseola. Which statement by the mother indicates understanding?
C. Care is supportive: antipyretics for fever and fluids to prevent dehydration. Aspirin is avoided in children (Reye syndrome risk), and antibiotics do not treat a viral illness.
A nurse is caring for a child with rubella. Which precaution should the nurse implement?
A. Standard only
B. Contact
C. Droplet
D. Airborne
C — Droplet precautions. Rubella spreads through the respiratory route. Infection during pregnancy can cause fetal death or serious birth defects.
Which statements about scarlet fever are correct? (Select all that apply.)
A, B, C, D. Scarlet fever is bacterial (group A strep), has a sandpaper-like rash, may cause peeling, and is treated with antibiotics. E is incorrect.
A child is moderately to severely ill with a fever. Which action should the nurse anticipate regarding routine immunization?
A. Hold the immunization until a later time.
B. Give two doses to improve immunity.
C. Administer the vaccine without assessing the child. D. Permanently discontinue all future vaccines.
A — Hold immunization until later. Moderately to severely ill children, with or without fever, should generally have immunization delayed
Which assessment finding is characteristic of the prodrome of measles (rubeola)?
C. Koplik spots appear in the mouth 1 to 2 days before the measles rash. Strawberry tongue and circumoral pallor are scarlet fever findings, and slapped cheeks indicate fifth disease.