A nurse working on an outpatient surgical unit is providing discharge teaching to the parent of a preschooler following placement of tympanoplasty tubes. The parent asks the nurse, "What should I do if the tubes fall out?" Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

A. FACES: The FACES pain scale is a visual analog scale commonly used with older children who can point to or select a facial expression that best represents their pain level. It may not be suitable for infants who may not have the cognitive or motor skills to use the scale effectively.

B. COMFORT: The COMFORT scale assesses pain in infants and young children based on behaviors such as crying, facial expressions, and body movements. It evaluates parameters such as alertness, calmness, respiratory response, physical movement, and muscle tone. The COMFORT scale is suitable for assessing pain in infants and young children, including those who are postoperative.

C. CRIES: The CRIES scale is a neonatal pain assessment tool that evaluates crying, oxygen saturation, vital signs, expression, and sleeplessness. While it is designed for newborns and infants up to 6 months of age, it may not be as appropriate for a 12-month-old infant who is postoperative and beyond the neonatal period.

D. FLACC: The FLACC scale assesses pain in infants and young children based on five behavioral categories: facial expression, leg movement, activity level, cry, and consolability. It is commonly used in pediatric settings and is suitable for assessing pain in infants who are postoperative.

A. Place the child in a left lateral position: Placing the child in a left lateral position is not the priority action for a preschooler with epiglottitis. Epiglottitis is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis, which can rapidly progress to airway obstruction. The priority is to maintain a patent airway and ensure adequate oxygenation.

B. Obtain a specimen from the child's throat for a culture: While obtaining a throat culture may be necessary to identify the causative organism and guide antibiotic therapy, it is not the immediate priority in the management of epiglottitis. Airway management and stabilization take precedence.

C. Inspect the child's throat with a padded tongue depressor: Direct visualization of the throat with a padded tongue depressor is contraindicated in a child with suspected epiglottitis. This action can trigger a gag reflex and potentially cause airway obstruction or exacerbate respiratory distress. Epiglottitis is a medical emergency, and any manipulation of the airway should be performed cautiously by experienced healthcare providers in a controlled setting.

D. Initiate droplet precautions for the child: Droplet precautions are appropriate for a child with suspected or confirmed epiglottitis due to the risk of transmission of the causative organism, usually Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), through respiratory droplets. However, the immediate priority is to secure the airway and provide respiratory support. Once the child's airway is stabilized, appropriate infection control measures, including droplet precautions, should be implemented to prevent the spread of infection to others.