A nurse is caring for a school-age child who has diabetes mellitus. Which of the following findings should the nurse recognize as being consistent with hyperglycemia?

A. Given the cloudy appearance of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and elevated white blood cell count (WBC) in the CSF, there may be an indication of meningitis.

Ceftriaxone is a broad-spectrum antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial meningitis. Therefore, administering ceftriaxone would be an appropriate action.

B. While vaccines are important for preventing infections, administering the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is not the immediate priority in this scenario. The patient is already exhibiting signs of a potential infection, and treatment should focus on addressing the current condition first.

C. The infant's serum glucose level is low at 64 mg/dL (normal range: 60 to 100 mg/dL).

However, the primary concern at this moment appears to be the potential bacterial meningitis indicated by the cloudy CSF, elevated WBC count, and abnormal CSF glucose level. While monitoring serum glucose is important, it is not the most critical action in this case.

D. Neutropenic precautions are typically implemented to protect patients with low neutrophil counts (neutropenia) from acquiring infections. However, there is no indication of neutropenia in the provided diagnostic results. Additionally, the cloudy CSF and elevated WBC count suggest a possible bacterial infection rather than a neutropenic condition.

- A) Checking clothing for loose buttons is important because toddlers can easily remove and swallow small objects, which can lead to choking hazards.
- B) Adjusting the water heater temperature to 54° C (129.2° F) is not recommended as it poses a risk of scalding. Safe water temperatures for households with toddlers should be at or below 49° C (120° F).
- C) Placing screens on all windows is a crucial safety measure to prevent toddlers from falling out of open windows, which can lead to serious injuries or fatalities.
- D) Providing balloons for play is not advisable as uninflated or broken balloons can be a choking hazard for toddlers. It is one of the leading causes of choking deaths in children.