Question

A nurse in a pediatric clinic is teaching a newly hired nurse about the varicella rooster. Which of the following information should the nurse include? A. Children who have varicella are contagious until vesicles are crusted. B. Children who have varicella should receive the herpes zoster vaccination. C. Children who have varicella should be placed in droplet precaution. D. Children who have varicella are contagious 4 days before the first vesicle eruption.

Answer 1

The following information should the nurse include is option: A. Children who have varicella are contagious until vesicles are crusted.

Explanation:

Varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, is highly contagious, and individuals remain so until the vesicles, or fluid-filled blisters, are crusted. This is a crucial piece of information for a nurse in a pediatric clinic to convey to a newly hired nurse. The contagious period starts about 1 to 2 days before the rash appears and continues until all the lesions have crusted over. This means that children with varicella can spread the virus to others even before the characteristic rash becomes evident, emphasizing the importance of infection control measures.

Understanding the timeline of contagion is vital for implementing appropriate precautions and preventing the spread of varicella in healthcare settings. Droplet precautions, as mentioned in option C, are not typically required for varicella; instead, standard precautions should be observed.

Option B, regarding the herpes zoster vaccination, is not directly relevant to the immediate management of varicella. The emphasis should be on educating the newly hired nurse about the contagious period of varicella and the need to implement appropriate infection control measures to protect both healthcare providers and other vulnerable individuals, especially in a pediatric setting where preventing the spread of infectious diseases is paramount.

Therefore, the correct answer is: A. Children who have varicella are contagious until vesicles are crusted.

Answer 2

The nurse should include the following information:

- A. Children who have varicella are contagious until vesicles are crusted.

- D. Children who have varicella are contagious 4 days before the first vesicle eruption.

When teaching a newly hired nurse about the varicella (chickenpox) virus, it's essential to provide accurate information. Let's break down the options and determine which information should be included:

A. Children who have varicella are contagious until vesicles are crusted.

- This statement is correct. Varicella is highly contagious, and infected individuals can spread the virus through respiratory secretions and direct contact with skin lesions. Contagiousness lasts until all the vesicles (fluid-filled blisters) have crusted over.

B. Children who have varicella should receive the herpes zoster vaccination.

- This statement is not entirely accurate. The herpes zoster vaccine is recommended for older adults to prevent shingles (herpes zoster) but is not typically given to children with varicella. Varicella and herpes zoster are caused by the same virus (varicella-zoster virus), but the vaccine recommendations differ based on age and previous infection history.

C. Children who have varicella should be placed in droplet precaution.

- This statement is incorrect. Varicella is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and contact with the skin lesions, so it should be managed with **airborne precautions**, not droplet precautions. Airborne precautions include using respiratory protection (like an N95 respirator) and placing the infected child in a negative-pressure isolation room.

D. Children who have varicella are contagious 4 days before the first vesicle eruption.

- This statement is correct. Individuals with varicella can start spreading the virus to others about 1 to 2 days before the appearance of the characteristic vesicular rash and remain contagious until all vesicles have crusted over.

These are essential facts about varicella that the newly hired nurse should be aware of to provide proper care and infection control measures in a pediatric clinic.