Immune System Flashcards
Transmission of chicken pox (varicella zoster)
Airborn and direct contact (incubation period of approximately 2 weeks)
S/S of chicken pox
Fever, muscle aches, decreased appetite, vesicular rash
Chicken pox nursing care
Implement airborne and contact precautions until all lesions are dry and crusted over, advise caregiver to keep child’s nails short or apply gloves to prevent scratching of rash
Viral infection caused by parvovirus B19 and is spread through respiratory droplets with an incubation period of 5-10 days
Erythema infectiosum (fifth’s disease)
S/S of fifth’s disease
Fever, malaise, slapped-cheek rash, maculopapular rash on trunk
Viral infection caused by human herpesvirus 6 and is transmitted primarily though saliva with an incubation period of 9-10 days
Roseola
S/S of roseola
High fever, pink maculopapular rash on trunk that spreads to face and extremities
Roseola family education
Monitor for febrile seizures
Highly contagious viral illness spread through airborne route with incubation period of 7-18 days
Measles (Rubeola)
S/S of measles
- initial: fever, dry cough, runny nose, red water eyes
- later: koplik spots (small white spots in mouth), maculopapular rash on face that spread to rest of body
Measles nursing care
Implement airborne precautions and continue those precautions for four days after resolution of rash
Contagious viral illness spread through respiratory droplets with an incubation period of 12-23 days
Rubella
S/S of rubella
Low-grade fever and malaise, followed by rash that starts on face and neck and spreads to rest of body
Rubella nursing care
Initiate droplet precautions, limit child’s contact with pregnant women because maternal infection can spread to developing fetus
Contagious viral illness spread through respiratory droplets with an incubation period of 7-21 days
Mumps
S/S of mumps
Fever, headache, anorexia, swelling of testes and parotid glands
Mumps nursing care
Implement droplet precautions, use warm of cool compresses for neck pain, cold compresses and elevation for testicular pain, monitor for complications such as hearing loss, meningitis, and encephalitis
Measles, rubella, and mumps prevention
MMR vaccine
Viral illness caused by coxsackievirus and is spread through contact with respiratory secretions and stool of an infection child. The incubation period is between 3-5 days and
Hand-foot-mouth disease
S/S of hand-foot-mouth disease
Malaise, low-grade fever, anorexia, non-pruritic vesicular rash on that hands, feet, and around the mouth, painful mouth sores
Hand-foot-mouth disease nursing care
Encourage increased fluid intake and soft foods to avoid hurting mouth sores
Communicable disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus
Mononucleosis (“kissing disease”)
S/S of mono
Fever, sore throat, extreme fatigue, lymphadenopathy, skin rash, splenomegaly
Labs associated with mono
Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, elevated WBCs, presence of atypical lymphocytes, elevated liver enzymes
Mono family education
Avoid contact sports due to risk of rupturing spleen
Most common intraocular cancer in childhood caused by a gene mutation that causes the cells in the retina to grow out of control and is most common in children under the age of 3
Retinoblastoma
S/S of retinoblastoma
Leukocoria (whitening of pupil), strabismus (lazy eye), vision issues, eye pain, swelling, and redness
Retinoblastoma treatment
Chemotherapy, cryotherapy, radiation, laser therapy, enucleation (surgical removal of eye)
Cancer of the sympathetic nervous system frequently found in the adrenal gland and is most common in children under the age of 5
Neuroblastoma
S/S of neuroblastoma
- early: vague; fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss
- late: lump or swelling in abdomen, bone pain
Most common renal cancer of childhood primarily affecting children under the age of 5
Nephroblastoma (Wilm’s tumor)
S/S of wilm’s tumor
Firm, painless mass in abdomen located toward flank, fever, fatigue, hypertension, hematuria
Wilm’s tumor nursing consideration
DO NOT palpate the mass in abdomen — can lead to metastasis of cancer
Key risk factors for testicular cancer
Cryptorchidism, family hx, white males
Most common symptom of testicular cancer
Painless lump or swelling in the testicle
Testicular cancer treatment
Radical orchiectomy (surgical removal of testical), chemotherapy, radiation
Testicular cancer family education
Advise patient to consider banking sperm d/t increased risk of infertility, perform monthly testicular self-exams (best performed in or just after shower)
Most common type of pediatric bone cancer typically occurring at the end of a long bone in the arm or leg (common sites include lower part of femur or upper part of tibia)
Osteosarcoma
The risk for osteosarcoma is greatest during
Teenage growth spurts
S/S of osteosarcoma
Bone pain, swelling in area, fractures, limp when walking, decreased ROM
Surgical treatment for osteosarcoma
Limb-salvage (removal of tumor and limb is reconstructed using an internal prosthetic device)
Most common pediatric cancer that causes overgrowth of abnormal and immature WBCs in bone marrow which prevents the growth of RBCs, platelets, and normal WBCs
Leukemia
S/S of leukemia
- d/t decreased RBC, S/S of anemia: pallor, fatigue, SOB
- d/t decreased platelets, S/S include: bleeding and abnormal bruising
- d/t decreased normal WBCs, S/S include: fever, frequent infections
- other: joint and bone pain, decreased appetite
Labs associated with leukemia
Decreased RBCs and platelets, increased blasts (immature WBCs)
Leukemia nursing care
Prevent infection d/t neutropenia, prevent bleeding d/t thrombocytopenia
Cancer of the lymphatic system
Lymphoma (Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s)
Compare Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Hodgkin’s: less common, presence of reed-sternberg cells, typically starts in lymph nodes of chest, neck, or armpits and spreads in a predictable way, easier to treat
- Non-Hodgkin’s: more common, NO reed-sternberg cells, may arise in various parts of body, harder to detect and treat
S/S of lymphoma
Fever, night sweats, fatigue, SOB, decreased appetite, weight loss
