Hand-foot-mouth disease
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
PediatricsInfectious DiseaseIntegumentary / Burns / Woundsmedium priorityneeds review
Hand-foot-mouth disease
Also testable as: HFMD, Coxsackievirus
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Enteroviruses such as coxsackievirus spread through respiratory secretions, blister fluid, stool, and surfaces.
- Viral illness causes fever, painful mouth sores, and rash or blisters on hands, feet, buttocks, or other areas.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Nursing actions
- Assess hydration, mouth pain, fever, rash, and daycare/school exposure.
- Teach hand hygiene, surface cleaning, avoiding shared cups/utensils, and comfort fluids.
- Escalate dehydration, lethargy, stiff neck, persistent fever, or neurologic symptoms.
Complications
- Dehydration
- Secondary infection
- Viral meningitis rarely
NCLEX cues
- Mouth sores plus hand and foot rash.
- Dehydration from mouth pain is priority.
- Highly contagious in child care.
Memory hooks
- HFMD: mouth pain makes hydration the priority.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Clinical exam
- Hydration assessment
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.