N213: Health Differences Across the Life Span 3

N213: Health Differences Across the Lifespan 3 Study Guide

©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 20 of 204 Rubella (German Measles) The Rubella Virus is the cause for the German measles and is also known as “three-day measles.” This illness is significantly shorter than Rubeola and less severe. This virus is prevalent in children in the spring and winter months. This virus is transmitted by coughing and by direct contact. Once infected, the incubation period is 14 to 21 days. After the incubation period ends, the duration of the illness only lasts up to five days, but more commonly three days. The period in which Rubella can be transmitted is seven days prior to the onset of the rash until about five days after the rash begins. Complications to an unborn fetus can be severe and include birth defects. When not infected, mothers may pass on immunity to Rubella during pregnancy from a previous infection. Complications in children and adults include encephalitis, thrombocytopenia, and arthritis. There is a rash that can almost mimic the measles and is called Roseola. Nurses will often be confronted by alarmed parents thinking their child has the measles, only to find after an evaluation by the doctor that the child actually has Roseola. This is a harmless rash that is caused by the immune system reacting to certain viral infections. Symptoms of rubella: • Prodromal stage: Low-grade fever, cough, fatigue, conjunctivitis, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy), throat pain, headache, cold-like symptoms; in very young children there may be no outward symptoms during this stage, which makes the illness easily spread among daycare and school populations • Acute stage: Rash that spreads from head downward, lymph nodes swell the day before the rash appears, spots on the soft palate (enanthem), low-grade fever, throat pain, fatigue, malaise Nursing assessment for rubella: • General head to toe assessment o Temperature o Breath sounds and airway patency o History of exposure and duration of symptoms o Lymph node assessment • Skin Assessment: monitor for itching and skinbreakdown Nursing diagnosis for rubella: • The diagnosis for rubella does not usually need laboratory or radiology reports • Risk for altered body temperature • Risk for altered nutrition related to throat pain • Risk for skin breakdown related to rash • Knowledge deficit related to immunizations

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