A mother takes her young child to an urgent care clinic requesting "the shot you get to prevent rabies" as her son was playing with a wild raccoon and was bitten. What is the appropriate response by the nurse?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The appropriate response is to explain that care of a bite victim includes a series of immunizations on the day of exposure and on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 after being bitten. This is the recommended protocol for rabies exposure and should be initiated as soon as possible to prevent the infection from progressing. Waiting to see if symptoms develop is not recommended as this can lead to fatal consequences. The animal may also need to be quarantined to determine if it has rabies, but immunizations should begin immediately while waiting for the results. Penicillin is not indicated for rabies prevention.

A Mother Takes Her Young Child to an Urgent Care