A child with a known peanut allergy is eating lunch at summer camp and develops an anaphylactic reaction from accidentally ingesting peanut butter–flavored cookies. The nurse’s first intervention should be to

  • have the child lie down on the ground.
  • take the child’s blood pressure.
  • verify the child has stopped eating and has no more cookies in his mouth.
  • ask the child how many cookies he ate.
Number 3 is correct.
The nurse’s first intervention is to stop exposure to the allergen (peanuts) by verifying the child has stopped eating the food. Once the client is safe from further exposure, the nurse can then assess for the priorities of airway, breathing, and circulation and intervene as necessary.