The 5-year-old is being tested for enterobiasis (pinworms). To collect a specimen for assessment of pinworms. the nurse should teach the mother to:

Examine the perianal area with a flashlight 2 or 3 hours after the child is asleep

Infection with pinworms begins when the eggs are ingested or inhaled. The eggs hatch in the upper intestine and mature in 28 weeks. The females then mate and migrate out the anus. where they lay up to 17.000 eggs. This causes intense itching. The mother should be told to use a flashlight to examine the rectal area about 23 hours after the child is asleep. Placing clear tape on a tongue blade will allow the eggs to adhere to the tape. The specimen should then be brought in to be evaluated. There is no need to scrape the skin. collect a stool specimen. or bring a sample of hair. so answers B. C. and D are incorrect.