Final answer:
The nurse should initiate airborne precautions for an infant with pertussis to prevent the spread of the disease while monitoring the infant's vitals as necessary. Antibiotics are only helpful at the earliest stage of pertussis, making prevention through vaccination critical.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse is caring for an infant who has pertussis, the advised nurse action would be to initiate airborne precautions. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Due to this high risk of transmission, airborne precautions including the use of N95 masks for care providers, a private room with negative pressure airflow for the infant, and limiting movement and transport of the infant are critical to prevent the spread of the disease. Airborne precautions are more effective than measures such as applying warm compresses to the neck or assessing for edema of the extremities, which are not specifically related to the care needs for pertussis. While maintaining a cardiorespiratory monitor can be important in tracking the infant's vital status given the possibility of severe coughing spasms and potential breathing difficulties, the priority is to minimize disease spread through airborne precautions.
Moreover, it is vital to recognize that medical advances have increased our capability to treat respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and related complications, including those from pertussis. However, antibiotic therapy, such as erythromycin or tetracycline, is only beneficial at the earliest stage of pertussis. Vaccination remains the best preventive approach for pertussis with the DTaP and Tdap vaccines being current standards in the United States to control this illness. Therefore, healthcare providers should also promote vaccination to help prevent outbreaks of diseases like pertussis.