child health

Question 1

4 “Hs” meningitis findings:

Answer 1

High temperature (fever),
Headache, Hard or stiff neck (nuchal rigidity), and
High-pitched cry (infants) are signs of meningitis.

Question 2

LP considerations:

Answer 2

Place and hold child still in
side-lying position with knees to chest and monitor
respiratory status during a lumbar puncture.
Bacterial meningitis causes CSF to appear cloudy.

Question 3

Bulging fontanels (late sign in infants)

Answer 3

Nausea, vomiting
Seizures
Positive Kernig knee pain and Brudzinski signs neck pain

Question 3

Droplet precautions:

Answer 3

When bacterial meningitis
is suspected, immediately implement droplet
precautions until ≥24 hours after starting antibiotics.

Question 4

Antibiotic administration:

Answer 4

Immediately after
drawing cultures, administer broad-spectrum
antibiotics to treat bacterial meningitis. Do not
wait for culture results; delays increase risk for
complications and death.

Question 5

INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT INCREASED ICP

Answer 5

Prevent increased ICP by decreasing environmental stimuli (dimming lights, limiting noise) and monitor for early signs of increased ICP, like altered LOC, headache, and vomiting.