A 7-year-old child has ingested a toxic dose of iron. The parent reports that the child vomited and had gastric pain an hour ago but "feels fine" now. The parent is not sure when the child ingested the iron tablets. The nurse should recommend which of the following?
A. Administer activated charcoal.
B. Observe the child closely for 2 more hours.
C. Bring the child to the hospital immediately.
D. Administer ipecac to induce vomiting if the child does not vomit again within 1 hour.
Answer: C . The critical period for observation after the ingestion of iron is 30 minutes to 6 hours. The child has had gastric pain, which may be symptomatic of toxicity, and needs to be monitored and possibly receive medical intervention. Although activated charcoal may be necessary, evaluation is indicated first. The child needs to be evaluated immediately. Ipecac is not recommended after the ingestion of toxic substances.
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