Health Promotion and Maintenance
70. A school nurse is creating an informational brochure for parents regarding the treatment of head lice. What form of treatment should the nurse caution against?
Health Promotion and Maintenance
70. A school nurse is creating an informational brochure for parents regarding the treatment of head lice. What form of treatment should the nurse caution against?
. Applying repeated doses of permethrin for as long as it takes until the infestation clears.
. Washing all clothing and linens in hot water followed by drying them in a hot dryer.
. Wearing gloves when washing the child's hair or inspecting for nits.
. Removing nits daily from the child's hair with a finetooth comb.
Test-Taking Tip
Note the words in the stem "caution against," and choose the option that is different from the others (e.g., pharmacologic treatments, which pose a greater risk to the child than nonpharmacologic treatments).
Content Area: Child Health, Infectious Disease; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Planning; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Safe and Effective Care Environment/Safety and Infection Control/Standard/Transmission-based/Other Precautions
Health Promotion and Maintenance
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Answer 1 is correct because, although permethrin is an over-the-counter medication for the treatment of pediculosis (head lice), repeated doses may become toxic over time; parents should be cautioned against such treatments. A nurse should stress that nonpharmacologic treatments such as nit removal may be more effective and pose less risk to the child. Answer 2 is incorrect because this is the recommended method for killing nits or lice contained in linen and clothing. Answer 3 is incorrect because this is recommended as a way to prevent nits or lice from being transferred to the parents during treatment of pediculosis. Answer 4 is incorrect because this is recommended treatment for children with pediculosis. This treatment should be continued until no nits remain.