A nurse is caring for a school-age child who sprained their ankle 1 hr ago. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to decrease the swelling?

• Headache: Both conditions may present with headache; however, in meningitis, it is often severe and accompanied by neurological signs, whereas in influenza, it may result from systemic illness and fever.
• Brudzinski sign: A classic sign of meningeal irritation, where passive neck flexion leads to involuntary hip and knee flexion. Not seen in influenza.
• Head and neck ROM: Restricted neck movement with pain is common in meningitis due to inflammation of the meninges. Normal neck ROM is usually maintained in influenza.
• Light sensitivity: Photophobia is a hallmark of meningeal inflammation and increased intracranial pressure. It is not a typical feature of influenza.
• Temperature: Fever is a shared symptom due to systemic infection and inflammation in both meningitis and influenza.

A. Place ice packs on the child's armpits and groin: Applying ice packs can cause vasoconstriction and shivering, which may increase the body's core temperature instead of lowering it, making this method inappropriate for fever management in children.

B. Apply a light blanket if the child begins to shiver: Shivering generates heat and indicates the child is feeling cold; using a light blanket helps provide comfort and prevents excessive heat loss without causing overheating.

C. Take the child's temperature every 10 min after administering acetaminophen: Frequent temperature checks every 10 minutes are unnecessary and may cause distress; checking every 4 to 6 hours is sufficient to monitor response to antipyretics.

D. Wake the child every 4 hr during the night to drink 118.3 mL (4 oz) of apple juice: Interrupting a sleeping child without signs of dehydration is not recommended, and sugary drinks like apple juice are not ideal for hydration during illness due to their high sugar content.