A child hospitalized for treatment of osteomyelitis complains that he is tired of being sick and wants to know when the antibiotic protocol will end. How long will the nurse indicate that antibiotic therapy will probably last?

Choice A reason: Guiding a child to the floor during a seizure is unsafe, as it risks injury to both the child and nurse due to uncontrolled movements. Leaving to get help abandons the child, increasing injury risk during the seizure’s tonic-clonic phase.
Choice B reason: Moving objects away from a child during a tonic-clonic seizure prevents injury from striking hard surfaces. Generalized seizures cause uncontrolled muscle contractions, increasing the risk of trauma. Ensuring a safe environment is a priority to minimize harm during the seizure event.
Choice C reason: Inserting a tongue blade, even padded, risks dental injury or airway obstruction, as jaw clenching is common in tonic-clonic seizures. Current guidelines advise against placing objects in the mouth, as it does not prevent tongue biting and may cause harm.
Choice D reason: Restraining a child during a seizure can cause fractures or soft tissue injury due to forceful muscle contractions. It also increases stress and hypoxia risk. Allowing the seizure to occur while ensuring safety is the recommended approach to minimize complications.

Choice A reason: Stress fractures result from repetitive microtrauma, common in athletes, not typically associated with abuse. In children, they occur from overuse (e.g., sports), not acute trauma, making them less suspicious for non-accidental injury compared to other fracture types.
Choice B reason: Compound fractures, where bone pierces the skin, result from high-impact trauma (e.g., falls). While possible in abuse, they are less specific, as they occur in accidents, making them less indicative of non-accidental injury than spiral fractures.
Choice C reason: Spiral fractures occur from twisting forces, often seen in abuse when a limb is forcefully twisted (e.g., by an adult). In children, whose bones are flexible, spiral fractures suggest significant force, raising suspicion of non-accidental trauma.
Choice D reason: Greenstick fractures, where the bone bends and partially breaks, are common in children due to pliable bones. They occur in accidents or minor trauma, making them less specific to abuse compared to spiral fractures’ association with twisting mechanisms.