A nursery nurse is attending the birth of a post-term infant.

 

Exhibits

Drag words from the choices below to fill in each blank in the following sentence.

Upon review of the medical record, the nurse should determine the infant newborn is at risk for developing

dropdown

and

dropdown

.

A. Vaccinate susceptible children and adults against smallpox: Vaccination is a public health intervention but is typically conducted under the direction of public health authorities and is not a routine nursing disaster preparation activity.

B. Assess types, levels, and scopes of disasters: While understanding disaster types is important, assessment of scope and level is generally part of emergency management planning at an organizational or governmental level, rather than a direct nursing responsibility.

C. Make quarantine preparations for those exposed to anthrax: Quarantine planning is a public health measure implemented by authorities during an actual event. Nurses may assist in care during quarantine, but preparing quarantines is not a primary preparation activity.

D. Participate in community drills and mock events: Engaging in drills and simulations allows nurses to practice roles, improve response times, and enhance preparedness for real disaster situations. Participation in these exercises is a key nursing activity in disaster planning.

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.