A 2-year-old is to be admitted in the pediatric unit. He is diagnosed with febrile seizures. In preparing for his admission, which of the following is the most important nursing action?
A. Place a urine collection bag and specimen cup at the bedside
B. Order a stat admission CBC
C. Pad the side rails of his bed
D. Place a cooling mattress on his bed
Correct Answer: C. Pad the side rails of his bed
The child has a diagnosis of febrile seizures. Precautions to prevent injury and promote safety should take precedence. Febrile seizure status is defined as a seizure lasting longer than 30 minutes. Therefore, prompt treatment of prolonged seizures of a febrile nature is as necessary as prompt treatment of prolonged seizures arising from other etiologies.
Option A: Preparing for routine laboratory studies is not as high a priority as preventing injury and promoting safety. A patient with a normal general and neurologic exam, whose history is consistent with a simple febrile seizure, does not need a further laboratory, imaging, or neurophysiologic evaluation.
Option B: Preparing for routine laboratory studies is not as high a priority as preventing injury and promoting safety. A lumbar puncture may be a consideration in the setting of fever and seizures. For a patient with the appropriate history of a febrile seizure and a rapid return to baseline, no lumbar puncture is necessary.
Option D: A cooling blanket must be ordered by the physician and is usually not used unless other methods for the reduction of fever have not been successful. There is no specific treatment for simple or complex febrile seizures other than appropriate treatment for underlying etiologies driving the ongoing febrile illness. Antipyretics have not been shown to prevent a recurrence of febrile seizures.