Pediatric ATI Practice Exam

What action should a nurse take when admitting a child with pertussis?

1. Initiate droplet precautions for the child.

2. Provide antibiotics immediately.

3. Isolate the child from all visitors.

4. Monitor vital signs every hour.

The correct answer is: Initiate droplet precautions for the child.

Initiating droplet precautions for a child with pertussis is critical because pertussis, or whooping cough, is primarily spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. By using droplet precautions, the nurse helps to prevent the transmission of the infection to other patients and healthcare personnel in the facility. These precautions typically involve wearing a mask when in close proximity to the child and ensuring that the child is placed in a private room or with other patients infected with the same illness. While providing antibiotics is a key aspect of managing pertussis, it is not necessarily performed immediately upon admission; it may depend on the child's condition and clinical guidelines. Isolating the child from all visitors can be excessive and could negatively affect the child’s emotional well-being unless there are specific reasons to limit contact. Monitoring vital signs every hour is important but may not be a priority over implementing infection control measures in the initial admission phase. Therefore, the focus on droplet precautions aligns directly with controlling the spread of pertussis effectively.