Illness Scenarios for Preventive Health Trainers
Scenario #1
Sheila is one year old. She’s been irritable most of the morning. She cries when drinking water, refuses to eat, and is warm to the touch. You try to take her temperature and notice blisters on her lips. Then you notice blisters on the palms of her hands.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you care for Sheila?
3. Should you call Sheila’s parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/hand-food-and-mouth-disease-coxsackie-child-care-setting
Scenario #2
The morning has been filled with fun! The children have all had lunch and taken a nap. When the children wake up from their nap, you notice Yolanda’s eyes are red, she’s rubbing them, and she has yellowish discharge draining from one of her eyes.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you care for Yolanda?
3. Should you call her parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/conjunctivitis-pink-eye
Scenario #3
Samir loves his pet cat. He told the story of how he got Fifi the cat at circle time. After circle time, you noticed him scratching a raised roundish rash on the back of his neck.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you take care of Samir?
3. Should you call his parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/ringworm-tinea
Scenario #4
Daniel’s is three years old. The sides of his nose and area above his lip have honey colored crusty scabs. It’s been that way for a few days and seems to be getting worse.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you take care of Daniel?
3. Should you call his parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/impetigo
Scenario #5
Carolina is five years old. She has been scratching her head all morning. When you take a closer look at her scalp you don’t see any bugs, but she tells you her cousin had head lice. You’ve never had head lice in your program, and you don’t know what they look like.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you take care of Carolina?
3. Should you call her parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/head-lice-pediculosis
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra181/f/HeadLice_EN_poster.2020.pdf
Scenario #6
Chandra is a lively 2 year old. During circle time, you notice she has clear mucous running from her nose. She's not as spunky as usual, and she has a little cough. She has no history of allergies. Several children have been out with RSV. Your daughter has the flu. COVID-19 cases have been going up in your county. Come to think of it, now your throat feels a little scratchy...
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you care for Chandra?
3. Should you call her parents? If so, what would you say?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/what-child-care-providers-should-know-about-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/children-and-runny-noses-during-covid-19
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/influenza
CDC Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-childcare-guidance.html
Public Health Departments in California: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/pages/localhealthservicesandoffices.aspx
Scenario #7
Mario arrives at your child care center and while you’re doing your Morning Health Check you notice a cluster of blisters in his mouth and an ulcer on his lip. His mom says they are just “cold sores” and she doesn’t have anyone else to leave him with. She pleads with you to let him stay because she might lose her job.
1. What are your concerns?
2. How would you take care of Mario?
3. How would you respond to Mario’s mom’s situation?
4. Where could you get more information?
https://cchp.ucsf.edu/content/herpes-cold-sores-or-fever-blisters
