Question

A nurse is creating a plan of care for a child who has acute lymphoid leukemia and an absolute neutrophil count of 400. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan?

A. Encourage friends and family to visit the child.
B. Withhold administering the varicella vaccine to the child.
C. Collect a daily urine specimen from the child to check for proteinuria.
D. Provide a low-protein diet for the child.

Answer 1

For a child with acute lymphoid leukemia and an ANC of 400, the correct intervention is to withhold administering the varicella vaccine due to the heightened risk of infection in an immunocompromised state.

Step-by-step explanation:

Interventions for a Child with Acute Lymphoid Leukemia and Low ANC

An appropriate plan of care for a child with acute lymphoid leukemia and an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 400 would involve interventions aimed at reducing the risk of infection due to the impaired immune function. The correct intervention would be option B: Withhold administering the varicella vaccine to the child. A low ANC, indicative of neutropenia, significantly increases the risk of infection, and live vaccines should be avoided due to the potential for causing disease in the immunocompromised patient. Encouraging friends and family to visit (option A) would be risky as they may inadvertently expose the child to infections. Collecting a daily urine specimen for proteinuria (option C) is not directly related to neutropenia but might be more relevant if nephrotoxicity due to chemotherapy is a concern. Providing a low-protein diet (option D) is not indicated; children with cancer often need more protein to help repair tissues and build immunity, not less.