The primary care pediatric nurse practitioner is treating a toddler who has a lower respiratory tract illness with a low-grade fever. The child is eating and taking fluids well and has normal oxygen saturations in the clinic. The nurse practitioner suspects that the child has a viral pneumonia and will:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Viral pneumonia is caused by viruses and cannot be treated with antibiotics or antiviral medications. Symptomatic care, such as encouraging fluids and rest, and addressing fever and cough, is the primary treatment for viral pneumonia. Ordering labs may help to confirm the diagnosis of viral pneumonia and rule out the possibility of bacterial infection. Therefore, teaching the parents symptomatic care and ordering labs to help with the diagnosis is the best choice.

The Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Is Treating a Toddler