The nurse is caring for a toddler diagnosed with Reye's syndrome.
Upon assessment of the child's medical history, which condition should the nurse expect?
The nurse is caring for a toddler diagnosed with Reye's syndrome.
Upon assessment of the child's medical history, which condition should the nurse expect?
A. cellulitis
[10%]
B. influenza
[49%]
C. meningitis
[27%]
D. mumps
[13%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Child Health
Lesson
Infectious Disease
Client Need
Test Plan
Physiological Adaptation
Related Topic
Alterations in Body Systems
Item Type
Item Type
Analysis
Explanation
Choice B is correct. Upon assessment of the child's medical history, the nurse should anticipate a finding of a viral infection, specifically influenza (A or B) or varicella, within the preceding two-week period. This is because individuals with these viral infections may have a fever, and taking aspirin could trigger this complication.
Choice A is incorrect. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection not typically associated with Reye syndrome.
Choice C is incorrect. Meningitis, including viral meningitis, is not commonly associated with Reye syndrome.
Choice D is incorrect. Mumps, although viral, is not generally associated with Reye syndrome.
Learning Objective
Correlate Reye Syndrome (also commonly referred to as Reye's Syndrome) with the finding of a diagnosis of influenza or varicella within the preceding two weeks.
Related Videos
2 Key Topics
Reye Syndrome
31.12 Hematologic & Metabolic Conditions
Additional Info
✓ Reye syndrome is a rare form of acute encephalopathy and fatty infiltration of the liver that tends to occur after some acute viral infections, mainly when salicylates (aspirin) are used during the illness.
✓ Symptoms include abrupt onset of vomiting, diarrhea, hyperventilation, restlessness, seizures, and coma.
✓ In June 1982, the Secretary of Health and Human Services began a public campaign to educate against using salicylates in pediatric clients. The New York Times ran a front-page article that included the following first line: "The Government announced plans today to advise doctors and parents against using aspirin to treat children's chicken pox or flu-like symptoms because studies have linked aspirin to Reye's Syndrome, a rare but often fatal children's disease." With decreased use of salicylates among children, Reye's syndrome is now very rare.
