Final answer:
The correct action for a nurse admitting a child with pertussis is to initiate droplet precautions for the child. This precaution involves wearing masks and possibly eye protection when in close proximity to the patient. Positive or negative-pressure airflow systems are not required, nor are contact precautions necessary for pertussis.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse on a pediatric unit is admitting a school-age child who has pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough. The causative agent is Bordetella pertussis, which is highly communicable through droplet transmission. The symptoms of pertussis are most pronounced in infants and children and can lead to severe coughing spells which facilitate the spread of the disease.
Given the mode of transmission, the appropriate action a nurse should take is C: Initiate droplet precautions for the child. Droplet precautions include wearing a mask and sometimes eye protection when working within a certain distance of the patient. Because the disease is not typically airborne over long distances, neither a positive-pressure nor negative-pressure airflow system is necessary. Contact precautions are generally reserved for diseases that are spread by direct contact with the patient or the patient's environment.
It is also worth noting that active vaccination with the DTaP and Tdap vaccines is an effective method for controlling pertussis. However, once a person is already infected, antibiotics such as erythromycin or tetracycline may be used to reduce transmission. Unfortunately, as vaccination rates decline in some areas, we are seeing a reemergence of pertussis cases in certain populations.