Pediatric ATI Practice Exam

For how long should a nurse maintain droplet precautions for an adolescent with bacterial meningitis?

1. Until the adolescent is afebrile

2. For 7 days following admission

3. Until the adolescent has a negative blood culture

4. For 24 hours after starting antimicrobial therapy

The correct answer is: For 24 hours after starting antimicrobial therapy

The appropriate duration for maintaining droplet precautions for an adolescent with bacterial meningitis is 24 hours after starting antimicrobial therapy. Bacterial meningitis can be transmitted through respiratory droplets, and the use of antimicrobial therapy significantly reduces the risk of transmitting the infection to others. Typically, once the patient has received effective antibiotics for a sufficient duration—usually around 24 hours—they are no longer considered contagious. This is based on the understanding that the bacteria are eradicated from the respiratory secretions after this period, lowering the likelihood of spread to others. Maintaining droplet precautions until the adolescent is afebrile could be misleading, as fever is not necessarily an indicator of infectiousness. The same applies to the option about waiting for a negative blood culture; although negative cultures might indicate the absence of bacteria, the primary concern is the transmission risk in the first 24 hours after initiating treatment. The 7-day timeframe related to admission does not align with current standards for contagiousness in patients receiving the appropriate treatment.