One day after giving birth vaginally, a client develops painful vesicular lesions on her perineum and vulva. She is diagnosed with a primary herpes simplex II infection. The expected care for her neonate includes:

Question

1. Meticulous handwashing and antibiotic eye ointment administration.
2. Intravenous acyclovir (Zovirax) and contact precautions.
3. Cultures of blood and CSF and serial chest x-rays every 12 hours.
4. Parental rooming-in and four intramuscular injections of penicillin.

Answer 1

2
Rationale:
1. Although meticulous handwashing by staff and parents is important, antibiotic eye ointment is used for conjunctivitis of gonorrhea or Chlamydia.
2. These are appropriate cares for an infant at risk for developing herpes simplex II infection.
3. These cultures are appropriate, but chest x-rays are not indicated. Chest x-rays are obtained if the neonate is thought to have group B strep pneumonia.
4. Parental rooming-in is encouraged, but penicillin does not treat viral illness. Penicillin is the drug of choice for syphilis infections.