A nurse is caring for a 30-month-old child. Which of the following activities should the nurse expect the child to participate in?

Rationale:

A. A blister-like area: Blistering is not the expected reaction used to interpret a Mantoux test. The result is based on the presence and size of induration, not the formation of blisters.

B. A cool, blanched area: Coolness and blanching are not indicators of a positive test. These findings may reflect poor circulation or local skin reaction unrelated to tuberculosis screening.

C. An elevated, hardened area: Induration (elevated, firm area) at the injection site, measured in millimeters, is the basis for determining a positive result. The size threshold for positivity depends on the client’s risk factors for tuberculosis.

D. An area of ecchymosis: Bruising at the site is a local skin reaction that can occur after any injection and is unrelated to the diagnostic criteria for a positive Mantoux test.

Rationale for correct choices:

• Reye’s syndrome is a rare but serious condition that can develop after a viral illness when aspirin is given to children. The toddler’s symptoms—lethargy, persistent vomiting, and difficulty rousing—align with signs of increased intracranial pressure associated with Reye’s syndrome.

• Aspirin administration during a recent influenza A infection is a known trigger for Reye’s syndrome, as it can cause acute encephalopathy and liver dysfunction in pediatric patients.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Bronchitis would present with prominent lower respiratory symptoms such as productive cough, wheezing, and abnormal lung sounds, which are not noted here.

• Gastroenteritis is characterized by vomiting and diarrhea with signs of dehydration; this child has no diarrhea, and the neurological decline suggests CNS involvement rather than a purely GI process.

• Acetaminophen administration is not linked to Reye’s syndrome; toxicity causes liver injury but does not present with acute encephalopathy following viral illness in the same way.

• Cough finding is unrelated to the primary cause of the neurological changes and persistent vomiting; the cough has been present but is not the trigger for the current complication.