The nurse who is working in a pediatric unit administers tetracycline [Sumycin] to a preschool-age child. What is a potential adverse effect of the medication for this child?

A. Respiratory Function: Monitoring respiratory function is important for conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It involves assessing lung sounds, oxygen saturation levels, and breathing patterns. This monitoring is essential to detect any signs of respiratory distress.

B. Cardiac Function: Monitoring cardiac function includes assessing heart rate, blood pressure, and rhythm. It's crucial for patients with heart conditions like heart failure or arrhythmias. This monitoring helps in identifying irregularities in heart function and provides insights into the overall cardiovascular health of the patient.

C. Renal Function: Monitoring renal function involves assessing kidney health, which includes tests like serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This is vital for patients with kidney diseases or those taking medications that can impact kidney function. Monitoring renal function helps in detecting any signs of kidney impairment or failure.

D. Liver Function: Monitoring liver function involves tests like liver enzymes (AST, ALT), bilirubin levels, and albumin levels. This is essential for patients taking medications that can affect the liver, such as certain antifungals, statins, or pain relievers. Monitoring liver function helps in identifying liver damage or dysfunction early on.

A. Obtaining all cultures before the antibiotic is administered: While obtaining cultures is important for identifying the specific pathogen causing the infection and guiding targeted antibiotic therapy, waiting for culture results can take time. During this time, the infection can progress. Therefore, it's generally recommended to initiate broad-spectrum antibiotics first and then adjust the treatment based on culture results.

B. Delaying administration of the antibiotic until the culture results are available: Delaying antibiotics until culture results are available can be risky, as it allows the infection to progress, potentially leading to sepsis or other severe complications.

C. Administering antipyretics as soon as possible: Administering antipyretics like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help reduce fever and make the patient more comfortable. However, the primary intervention for a suspected infection is antibiotic therapy, as it targets the underlying cause of the fever.

D. Administering the antibiotic immediately: When dealing with a patient with a fever of unknown origin and a suspected infection, the priority is to start appropriate antibiotic therapy promptly. Delaying antibiotic administration can allow the infection to worsen, leading to serious complications.