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The labor nurse is admitting a patient in active labor with a history of genital herpes. On assessment, the patient reports a recent outbreak, and the nurse verifies lesions on the perineum. What is the nurse’s next action?

  • A. Ask the patient when she last had anything to eat or drink.
  • B. Take a culture of the lesions to verify the involved organism.
  • C. Ask the patient if she has had unprotected sex since her outbreak.
  • D. Use electronic fetal surveillance to determine a baseline fetal heart rate.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Use electronic fetal surveillance to determine a baseline fetal heart rate. This is important in assessing the well-being of the fetus during labor, especially in the presence of genital herpes lesions. Monitoring the fetal heart rate helps in detecting any signs of distress or compromise due to maternal infection.

A: Asking about the patient's last intake is important but not the immediate priority when managing a patient with active genital herpes lesions in labor.
B: Taking a culture of the lesions might be helpful but not the immediate action needed in this situation.
C: Asking about unprotected sex is relevant but not as critical as monitoring the fetal well-being during labor in this scenario.

Overall, the most critical action is to monitor the fetal heart rate for any signs of distress related to the maternal herpes infection.