What is a classic symptom of scabies that the nurse needs to assess in children?

Prepare for the Pediatrics Examination and Assessment Questionnaire (EAQ) with multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Enhance your knowledge and readiness for the exam with our engaging quiz!

The presence of pruritic threadlike lesions in skin folds is a classic symptom of scabies, particularly in children. Scabies is caused by a mite infestation, specifically Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows into the skin and causes intense itching and irritation. Children, due to their tendency to play closely together and share personal items, are particularly susceptible to this condition.

As the mites burrow into the stratum corneum, they create small, wavy, threadlike tracks that can be quite itchy, especially in warm areas of the body such as the axillae, groin, and web spaces between fingers. The itching often worsens at night, leading to significant discomfort. Therefore, recognizing these pruritic lesions during an assessment is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment of scabies in pediatric patients.

The other options present symptoms that are not characteristic of scabies. For instance, central necrotic ulcers with surrounding petechiae may suggest other types of infections or conditions. Reddened, round areas of alopecia affecting the scalp typically relate to conditions like alopecia areata or fungal infections, while grayish-white particles on hair shafts indicate an infestation by lice, rather than scabies. Understanding the typical manifestations of

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