Question

The charge nurse in the pediatric neurologic intensive care unit is reviewing the change-of-shift report for several of the patients.

Answer the following questions and give the rationale: (NOTE: Proper English grammar, word usage and a thorough response is required to answer the Rationale correctly!)

7. The patient is a 4-year-old girl with suspected Reye syndrome who is almost comatose since admission during the night. The parents ask the nurse caring for their daughter what could have caused this sudden terrible illness. What information would be most appropriate for the nurse to share with the parents?

1. “How children get Reye syndrome is not well understood, but there is a connection between having a viral illness such as chickenpox or the flu and treating the fever with aspirin or a medication with aspirin in it.”
2. “There is a direct correlation between bacterial infections and the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) in children who acquire Reye syndrome because Tylenol can harm the liver even in healthy children.”
3. “When a child gets immunizations and then gets a viral infection, regardless of how slight, the immune system cannot handle it, and because the liver is used to purify toxins, the liver function becomes impaired.”
4. “The measles virus can lie dormant in the body for a period of time. When a child gets the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine, it can awaken the sleeping virus, which can then attack the liver and the brain.”

Answer: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Rationale: __________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer 1

7) The correct option is A) How children get Reye syndrome is not well understood, but there is a connection between having a viral illness such as chickenpox or the flu and treating the fever with aspirin or a medication with aspirin in it.

Rationale - The exact cause of Reye's syndrome is unknown, but it most commonly affects children and young adults recovering from a viral infection – for example a cold, flu or chickenpox. In most cases, aspirin has been used to treat their symptoms, so aspirin may trigger Reye's syndrome.