A nurse is planning care for a child who has mumps. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the plan?
A.
Initiate contact precautions.
B.
Initiate standard precautions.
C.
Initiate airborne precautions.
D.
Initiate droplet precautions.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is D. Initiate droplet precautions.
Explanation:
Mumps is a contagious viral illness primarily spread through respiratory droplets. Therefore, the appropriate infection control measure for a child with mumps is to use droplet precautions. Here’s why:
- Transmission Route: Mumps is caused by the mumps virus and is transmitted from person to person through droplets expelled into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The droplets can be inhaled by individuals nearby, making droplet precautions essential to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Droplet Precautions: These precautions include wearing a mask when within 3 feet of the infected individual. This prevents the inhalation of respiratory droplets that may contain the virus. It’s also important to ensure that the child’s room is equipped with tissues and hand hygiene supplies to minimize the risk of spreading the infection. Visitors and healthcare personnel should also wear masks and perform hand hygiene frequently.
- Standard Precautions: While standard precautions are always a fundamental part of infection control (including hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment when needed), they are not specific enough for diseases spread through droplets. Standard precautions alone are not sufficient for mumps, as they do not specifically address droplet transmission.
- Airborne Precautions: These are used for diseases spread through tiny airborne particles that can remain suspended in the air for extended periods, such as tuberculosis or measles. Mumps is not spread this way; hence, airborne precautions are not necessary.
- Contact Precautions: These are used for infections spread through direct or indirect contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. While contact precautions are important for certain infections, mumps is not typically spread this way.
In summary, the primary infection control measure for a child with mumps is to implement droplet precautions to effectively prevent the spread of the virus through respiratory droplets.