The 10-year-old patient presents to the emergency room following a fever as high as 105°F for 5 days. The patient’s mother reports the child has had red, watery eyes, poor appetite, and has felt ill during this time. The child was brought to the emergency room upon the appearance of a red rash that started on the child’s face and spread to the neck and chest. Which question will be most helpful in order to determine the cause of this patient’s symptoms?

Question

The 10-year-old patient presents to the emergency room following a fever as high as 105&deg;F for 5 days. The patient&rsquo;s mother reports the child has had red, watery eyes, poor appetite, and has felt ill during this time. The child was brought to the emergency room upon the appearance of a red rash that started on the child&rsquo;s face and spread to the neck and chest. Which question will be most helpful in order to determine the cause of this patient&rsquo;s symptoms?

Accepted Answer

“Has your child traveled out of the country in the last two weeks?”. The patient&rsquo;s symptoms and history are consistent with measles. Although the U.S. is experiencing an increase in measles cases, it is more likely that a child would contract measles while travelling outside the U.S. It is important to know if the child is up to date on vaccinations, but the patient has to have come in contact with the virus in order to contract it, regardless of immunizations. The patient&rsquo;s symptoms are not consistent with a mosquito-borne virus or a reaction to antibiotics.

Want help? View the answer with rationale.

Rationale

Additional Safety and Infection Control Questions

Nursing Careers

Nursing Degrees

NCLEX