TODDLER- A 

toddler is a child approximately 12 to 36 months old, though definitions vary.

The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is
derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child of this age.
COMMON ILLNESS IN TODDLER

 AUTISM- classic ASD is a complex range of neurodevelopment disorder characterized by

communication difficulties, poor social interaction, and frequent repetitive and stereotyped
movements.
 NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGED OR CHRONICALY III TODDLE- all toddlers
need feeding themselves if at all possible, but allowing a child with neurologic deficits do this can
be difficult for parents.
 Sore Throat-Sore throats are common in children and can be painful. However, a sore throat that
is caused by a virus does not need antibiotics. In those cases, no specific medicine is required,
and your child should get better in seven to ten days. In other cases, a sore throat could be caused
by an infection called streptococcal (strep throat).
 Signs and Symptoms
 The most common symptoms of strep throat include:
 Sore throat that can start very quickly.
 Pain when swallowing.
 Fever.
 Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus.
 Tiny, red spots (petechiae — pronounced pi-TEE-kee-eye) on the roof of the mouth (the soft or
hard palate)

 Along with the sore throat, you can have symptoms like:
 nasal congestion
 runny nose
 sneezing
 cough
 fever
 chills
 swollen glands in the neck
 hoarse voice
 body aches
 headache
 trouble swallowing
 appetite loss
 Cause-sore throat (pharyngitis) is a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. A sore throat caused
by a virus resolves on its own. Strep throat (streptococcal infection), a less common type of sore
throat caused by bacteria, requires treatment with antibiotics to prevent complications
 Nursing Management for sore throat-Encourage plenty of rest to give your immune system a
chance to fight the infection.
 Advice mother to continue with the antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor even if symptoms
subside
 Advice mother to avoid giving sweets and cold beverage to the patient
 Encourage mother to do tepid sponge bath in case fever persists
 Teach mother how to properly suction the patient of secretions
 Promote oral fluid intake

 Ear pain is common in children and can have many causes—including ear infection (otitis
media), swimmer's ear (infection of the skin in the ear canal), pressure from a cold or sinus
infection, teeth pain radiating up the jaw to the ear, and others. . To tell the difference, your
pediatrician will need to examine your child's ear. In fact, an in-office exam is still the best way
for your pediatrician to make an accurate diagnosis. If your child's ear pain is accompanied by a
high fever, involves both ears, or if your child has other signs of illness, your pediatrician may
decide that an antibiotic is the best treatment.

 Signs and symptoms

 Tugging at the ear. Children may tug at their ears for many reasons, and one of these reasons
could be an ear infection.
 Difficulty sleeping or lying down.
 Ear drainage.
 Crying more than usual.
 Difficulty hearing.
 Fever.
 Loss of balance.
 Diarrhea, vomiting, reduced appetite.
 Cause
 Ear pain (otalgia) can be a common reason children visit a physician. There are several causes of
ear pain, including teething, sore throat, ear infection, or blocked Eustachian tubes
 Nursing Management-Provide the patient a comfortable position
 Elevated the head of bed
 Avoid heavy lifting, straining, exertion, do not blow nose
 Administer pain reliever as prescribed by physician

 Urinary Tract Infection-Bladder infections, also called urinary tract infections or UTIs, occur
when ¬bacteria build up in the urinary tract. A UTI can be found in children from infancy
through the teen years and into adulthood. Symptoms of a UTI include pain or burning during
urination, the need to urinate frequently or urgently, bedwetting or accidents by a child who
knows to use the toilet, abdominal pain, or side or back pain.

 Signs and Symptoms

 Bedwetting.
 Fever (occasionally the only symptom in babies)
 Foul-smelling, cloudy or blood-tinged urine.
 Frequent urination, although very little urine may be produced.
 Fussiness.
 Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite.
 Pain below your child's belly button
 Cause-UTIs are most commonly caused by bacteria, which may enter the urinary tract from the
skin around the anus or vagina. The most common cause of UTIs is E. coli, which originates in
the intestines. Most UTIs are caused when this type of bacteria or other bacteria spread from the
anus to the urethra.
 NURSING MANAGEMENT-Assess for pain characteristic
 Encourage increased fluid intake if not contraindicated
 Provide comfort measures like back rub, helping the patient to assume position of comfort
 Administer antibiotics as prescribed

 Skin Infection-In most children with skin infections, a skin test (culture or swab) may be needed
to determine the most-appropriate treatment. Tell your doctor if your child has a history of
MRSA, staph infection, or other resistant bacteria or if he or she has been exposed to other family
members or contacts with resistant bacteria.

 Signs and Symptoms

 The symptoms of a skin infection also vary depending on the type. Common symptoms include
redness of the skin and a rash. You may also experience other symptoms, such as itching, pain,
and tenderness.
 See a doctor if you have pus-filled blisters or a skin infection that doesn’t improve or gets
progressively worse. Skin infections can spread beyond the skin and into the bloodstream. When
this happens it can become life-threatening.
 Signs of a severe infection include:pus, blisters, skin sloughing, breakdown, dark, necrotic-
appearing skin, or skin that becomes discolored and painful
 Cause-Bacterial skin infection: This occurs when bacteria enter the body through a break in the
skin, such as a cut or a scratch. Getting a cut or scratch doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop a
skin infection, but it does increase your risk if you have a weakened immune system. A decreased
immune system can be the result of an illness or the side effect of medication.
 Nursing Management-Assess for underlying cause/ condition involved
 Note changes in skin color, texture and turgor
 Determine depth of injury/ damage to integumentary system
 Inspect skin in daily basis, describing lesions and changes observed
 Kee the area clean/ dry, prevent infection and stimulate circulation to surroundings

 Chronic bronchitis is an infection of the larger, more central airways in the lungs and is more
often seen in adults. Often the word "bronchitis" is used to describe a chest virus and does not
require antibiotics.
 Signs and symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis include:
 a persistent cough, which may produce mucus
 wheezing
 a low fever and chills
 a feeling of tightness in the chest
 a sore throat
 body aches
 breathlessness
 headaches
 a blocked nose and sinuses
 CAUSE- Bronchitis happens when a virus, bacteria, or irritant particles trigger an inflammation
of the bronchial tubes. Smoking is a key risk factor, but nonsmokers can also develop bronchitis.
 Acute bronchitis
 Acute bronchitis can result from:a virus, for example, a cold or flu virus
 a bacterial infection
 exposure to substances that irritate the lungs, such as tobacco smoke, dust, fumes, vapors, and air
pollution
 People have a higher risk of developing acute bronchitis if they: experience a virus or bacteria
that causes inflammation
 smoke or inhale secondhand smoke
 have asthma or an allergy
 NURSING MANAGEMENT-Assess respiratory rate, depth. Note use of accessory muscles,
pursed lip breathing, inability to speak
 Elevate head of the bed, assist patient assume position to ease work of breathing. Encourage deep
slow or pursed lip breathing as individually tolerated or indicated
 Routinely monitor skin and mucous membrane color
 Encourage expectoration of sputum; suction when indicated

 Bronchiolitis -is common in infants and young children during the cold and flu season. Your
doctor may hear "wheezing" when your child breathes.

 Signs and Symptoms

 Runny nose.
 Fever.
 Cough.
 Short periods without breathing (apnea)Trouble eating, drinking, or swallowing.
 Wheezing.
 Flaring of the nostrils or straining of the chest or stomach while breathing.
 Breathing faster than usual, or trouble breathing
 a rasping and persistent dry cough.
 rapid or noisy breathing (wheezing)
 brief pauses in their breathing.
 feeding less and having fewer wet nappies.
 vomiting after feeding.
 being irritable.
 Causes-Bronchiolitis is usually caused by a viral infection. Many different viruses can be the
culprit, including the flu, but the most common in children is what’s called respiratory syncytial
virus, or RSV.
 Outbreaks of this virus happen every winter, and most children have had it by the time they turn
3. They may only get mild symptoms, but in severe cases it can cause bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
 NURSING MANAGEMENT-Assess respiratory rate, depth. Note use of accessory mucles,
pursed lip breathing, inability to speak
 Elevate head of the bed, assist patient assume position to ease work of breathing.Encourage deep
slow or pursed lip breathing as individuallyntolerated or indicated
 Routinely monitor skin and mucous membrane color
 Encourage expectoration of sputum; suction when indicated

 Pain-The best medicines for pain relief for children are acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Talk to your
pediatrician about how much to give your child, as it should be based on your child's weight.

 NURSING MANAGEMENT-Assess for underlying cause/ condition involve

 Assess pain characteristic
 Encourage the patient to verbalized about pain
 Note for any change behavior
 Provide comfort measures
 Provide application of hot and cold compress
 Provide peaceful environment

 Bacterial sinusitis -is caused by bacteria trapped in the sinuses. Sinusitis is suspected when cold-
like symptoms such as nasal discharge, daytime cough, or both last over ten days without
improvement.

 Sign and Symptoms

 The symptoms of sinusitis depend on the age of the child. The following are the most common
symptoms of sinusitis. However, each child may experience symptoms
 In younger children, symptoms may include:
 runny noselasts longer than seven to 10 days
 discharge is usually thick green or yellow, but can be clear
 nighttime cough
 occasional daytime cough
 swelling
 Cause-Sometimes, a sinus infection happens after a child has an upper respiratory infection (URI)
or common cold. The URI causes inflammation of the nasal passages that can block the opening
of the paranasal sinuses, and result in a sinus infection. Allergies can also lead to sinusitis
because of the swelling of the nasal tissue and increased production of mucus. There are other
possible conditions that can block the normal flow of secretions out of the sinuses and can lead to
sinusitis including the following:
 abnormalities in the structure of the nose
 enlarged adenoids
 diving and swimminginfections from a tooth
 trauma to the nose
 foreign objects stuck in the nose
 cleft
 When the flow of secretions from the sinuses is blocked, bacteria may begin to grow. This leads
to a sinus infection, or sinusitis. The most common bacteria that cause sinusitis include the
following:
 Streptococcus pneumonia
 Haemophilus influenzae
 Moraxella catarrhalis
 NURSING MANAGEMENT-Auscultate lung sounds on anterior and posterior thorax
 Position the client in a semi fowler’s position
 Give chest phsyiotheraphy
 Health teaching about the environmental factors that can contribute to the condition
 Teach the client to perform proper coughing technique
 Teach the client on hoe w to do appropriate deep breathing excercise
 Encourage adequate rest
 Provide a clean and allergen free environment
 Increase fluid intake
 Administer medication as prescribed