Question

The nurse is monitoring a newborn infant who has been circumcised. The nurse notes that the infant has a temperature of 100.6º F (38.1º C) and that the dressing at the circumcised area is saturated with a foul-smelling drainage. Which is the priority nursing action?

Answer 1

The nurse should immediately notify a healthcare provider due to signs of possible infection at the circumcision site, indicated by an elevated temperature and foul-smelling drainage, which may require prompt medical treatment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The priority nursing action when a nurse observes that an infant has a temperature of 100.6º F (38.1º C) and a circumcised area with saturated dressing and foul-smelling drainage is to recognize signs of a possible infection. The nurse should immediately notify the pediatrician or a healthcare provider for assessment and potential intervention. These symptoms can indicate a serious condition requiring prompt medical treatment. An elevated temperature in a newborn can be a sign of an infection, and a foul-smelling drainage could mean that the site of circumcision is infected. The nurse may also need to take cultures of the drainage and check the infant's white blood cell count to further assess for infection, similar to the protocols followed in the clinical focus cases referenced.