What should a nurse monitor for a client with encephalitis due to West Nile virus?

Monitoring vital signs every two hours for a client with encephalitis due to West Nile virus is crucial due to the potential for rapid changes in neurological status and overall health. Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain often caused by viral infections like West Nile virus, can lead to increased intracranial pressure and significant fluctuations in vital signs, including elevated heart rate, irregular blood pressure, and altered respiratory patterns.

Frequent assessment of vital signs allows the healthcare team to detect early signs of deterioration in the patient's condition, such as changes indicating increased intracranial pressure or infection complications. This vigilance can guide timely interventions, which are vital in managing the condition and ensuring patient safety.

While other choices such as monitoring fluid intake, caloric intake, and serum electrolytes are important elements of overall care for patients with encephalitis, they do not provide the immediate insights into the patient's neurological and systemic status that frequent vital signs monitoring offers. This makes monitoring vital signs more critical in ensuring appropriate and timely medical response to changes in the patient's condition.