A nurse is assessing a 3-month-old infant whose parents report starting cow's milk feedings 1 week ago. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Rationale:

A. "I will remove gluten from my diet.": Gluten is unrelated to latex allergies. It is typically avoided in conditions like celiac disease, but does not cross-react with latex proteins and is not a concern for latex-sensitive individuals.

B. "I will remove peanuts from my diet.": Although peanut allergies are common, there is no significant cross-reactivity between peanuts and latex. Avoiding peanuts is not necessary unless the client has a separate peanut allergy.

C. "I will remove bananas from my diet.": Bananas contain proteins similar to those found in natural latex. Clients with latex allergies often have cross-reactive food allergies, especially to bananas, avocados, kiwis, and chestnuts this is known as latex-fruit syndrome.

D. "I will remove dairy products from my diet.": Dairy products are not associated with latex sensitivity. Removing them offers no protective benefit for clients with a latex allergy unless a separate dairy intolerance or allergy exists.

Rationale:

A. Administer Ibuprofen 200 mg PO: The child reports a pain score of 5/10 and is requesting pain medication. The provider has prescribed ibuprofen PRN for this level of pain. Prompt administration supports comfort and reduces inflammation associated with fracture and swelling.

B. Elevate the affected forearm with pillows: Elevation helps reduce edema by promoting venous return and lymphatic drainage. Given the child's worsening edema in the forearm and fingers, this is a priority to minimize complications like compartment syndrome.

C. Place a nonadherent dressing on the right knee abrasion: Although dressing the abrasion is a reasonable intervention, it is not a priority at this stage. The abrasion is not actively bleeding or infected, so attention should remain on managing neurovascular risk and pain.

D. Review cast care instructions with the child's parents: This is an important educational step, but it is not a current priority since the cast has not yet been applied. Priority actions should focus on pain, swelling, and circulation while awaiting casting.

E. Apply ice packs to the fingers and along the right forearm: Ice helps manage pain and inflammation by vasoconstriction, limiting fluid accumulation in tissues. Applying it early post-injury is crucial to controlling swelling in a fractured limb.

F. Explain the cast application procedure to the child: Preparing the child for a future procedure is helpful but not immediately necessary. At this point, pain control and reduction of swelling take precedence to prevent complications and stabilize the injury.