A nurse is admitting a child who has leukemia and a critically low platelet count. Which of the following precautions should the nurse initiate?

Choice A reason: A critically low platelet count in leukemia increases bleeding risk due to impaired clotting. Bleeding precautions, like avoiding invasive procedures and using soft toothbrushes, prevent hemorrhage, making this the correct precaution for the child’s condition. Choice B reason: Droplet precautions address respiratory infections, not low platelets. Leukemia-related bleeding risk is unrelated to droplet-transmitted pathogens, making this choice incorrect for the child’s thrombocytopenia. Choice C reason: Neutropenic precautions apply to low white blood cell counts, not platelets. While leukemia may cause neutropenia, the question specifies low platelets, making bleeding precautions the priority, so this choice is incorrect. Choice D reason: Contact precautions prevent infection spread, like MRSA, but do not address bleeding risk from low platelets. The child’s thrombocytopenia requires specific bleeding precautions, making this choice incorrect.