DO YOU SEND HOME????

[blackscrubs]

OK guys, do you sedn kids home with suspected pink eye?????

[LACA, BSN, LPN, RN]

Yep!! According to our district's policy--If the child's eye is red, I will usually ask them a couple questions--if they answer me YES that it was crusty or cruddy when they woke up, or any other suspected symptom of pink eye, I call the parents to pick them up immediately.

[Supernrse01, BSN]

Yes... I call home and let the parent/guardian know what I see and that it appears to be pink eye and that the student needs to be picked up and evaluated by a physician.

[missfixit]

At my school, students in 4K- 5th grade are only excluded with purulent drainage. 6th -12th are not excluded.

[safarirn]

Teachers freak out whenever kids have red, watery eyes.

I assess for goopy drainage or crusting. I ask a few questions & if I am not satisfied with the answers or I am still unsure I will call the parent & talk to them about it. I see A LOT of 'allergy eyes' this time of the year. If the eye is otherwise normal w/o any suspicious findings, they go back to class.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

We had a policy that if we suspect pink eye the child had to be sent home immediately and would be able to return to school after cleared by the physician. If the student had drainage, or woke up with crusty eyes or goop.

[bergren]

The birth of school nursing was about not excluding kids from school. Sign In â€" The Journal of School Nursing

"The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children with viral or bacterial conjunctivitis who do not have a concomitant systemic illness should be allowed to remain in school once any indicated therapy is implemented unless the child's behavior precludes limiting their contact with other children." American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Red Book: 2003 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. Elk Grove Village, Ill: AAP.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

I agree, Martha, but you still have to send them to be evaluated and be started on treatment. I send home anyone who has goo, gunk, ick or any other medical term you choose. If their eyes are just watery, and I believe they can keeps their hands to themselves, they stay. I did send one girl home the other day who had no drainage, but her eye just didn't look like typical allergy eye. She was diagnosed with periorbital cellulitis.

[bergren]

' I did send one girl home the other day who had no drainage, but her eye just didn't look like typical allergy eye. She was diagnosed with periorbital cellulitis"

Good call!

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

My district requires that students be sent home immediately and can be readmitted after treatment has started. They must present a note from the doctor to return to school.

[millhouse]

they may return 24 hours after treatment occurs. I send home if purulent drainage present!

[SchoolNurseBSN]

I very rarely see any drainage at all. I do see a lot of "cheeto conjunctivitis." Especially, they eat the hot cheetos and rub their eyes! Dust is usually still all over their fingers when they come to see me.......