The nurse is reviewing discharge instructions with the family of a child diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. What should the nurse teach the parents and child about the prescribed medication?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a child is uncomfortable or has definite disease symptoms, parents tend to give medicine conscientiously. However, when symptoms fade, a child returns to school, or the family returns to its busy everyday schedule, it is easy for parents to forget to give medicine. This can leave children open to a recurrence of the condition or symptoms, such as pain or recurrent infection, because the organisms causing the illness were only suppressed, not killed. Parents need to be reminded to provide the child with the entire course of the antibiotic prescribed by the provider. The antibiotics should not be saved for later use. The medication should be taken even if the patient does not have a fever. The child is not to make the decision regarding taking or not taking the prescribed antibiotic.

The Nurse Is Reviewing Discharge Instructions with the Family of a Child