PEDS Ch. 20
Origin: Chapter 20, 10 The school nurse is working with a 10-year-old girl with recurrent abdominal pain. The girl's teacher has been less than understanding about the frequent absences and trips to the nurse's office. How should the nurse respond? A) "Be patient; she is trying some new medication." B) "The pain she is having is real." C) "The family is working toward improvement." D) "Please do not add to this family's stress." .
Ans: B Feedback: It is important to educate the teacher that this recurrent abdominal pain is a true pain that the child feels and it is not "in her mind." Telling the teacher not to add to the family's stress or that the family is working toward improvement does not teach. The nurse must have the permission of the family to discuss the girl's medication
Origin: Chapter 20, 27 After teaching the parents of a 6-year-old how to administer an enema, the nurse determines that the teaching was successful when they state that they will give how much solution to their child? A) 100 to 200 mL B) 200 to 300 mL C) 250 to 500 mL D) 500 to 1,000 mL
Ans: D Feedback: For a school-age child, typically 500 to 1,000 mL of enema solution is given. For an infant, 250 mL or less is used; for a toddler or preschooler, 250 to 500 mL is used.
Origin: Chapter 20, 30 The nurse is preparing to administer intravenous fluids to manage a child with dehydration. The medical record indicates the child weighs 60 pounds (27.2 kg). How many milliliters will initially be administered? Record your answer using two decimal places.
Ans: 545.45 Feedback: Nursing goals for the infant or child with dehydration are aimed at restoring fluid volume and preventing progression to hypovolemia. Provide oral rehydration to children for mild to moderate states of dehydration. Children with severe dehydration should receive intravenous fluids. Initially, administer 20 mL/kg of normal saline or lactated Ringer, and then reassess the hydration status.
Origin: Chapter 20, 1 The nurse is teaching the mother of a 5-year-old boy with a history of impaction how to administer enemas at home. Which response from the mother indicates a need for further teaching? A) "I should position him on his abdomen with knees bent." B) "He will require 250 to 500 mL of enema solution." C) "I should wash my hands and then wear gloves." D) "He should retain the solution for 5 to 10 minutes."
Ans: A Feedback: A 5-year-old child should lie on his left side with his right leg flexed toward the chest. An infant or toddler is positioned on his abdomen. Using 250 to 500 mL of solution, washing hands and wearing gloves, and retaining the solution for 5 to 10 minutes are appropriate responses.
Origin: Chapter 20, 16 The mother of a 3-week-old infant old brings her daughter in for an evaluation. During the visit, the mother tells the nurse that her baby is spitting up after feedings. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate? A) "We need to tell the doctor about this." B) "Infants this age commonly spit up." C) "Your daughter might have an allergy." D) "Don't worry; you're just feeding her too much."
Ans: B Feedback: In infants younger than 1 month of age, the lower esophageal sphincter is not fully developed, so infants younger than 1 month of age frequently regurgitate after feedings. Many children younger than 1 year of age continue to regurgitate for several months, but this usually disappears with age. The mother's report is not a cause for concern so the physician does not need to be notified. Additional information would be needed to determine if the infant had an allergy. Although the infant's stomach capacity is small, telling the mother not to worry does not address the mother's concern, and telling her that she is feeding the daughter too much implies that she is doing something wrong.
Origin: Chapter 20, 9 The nurse is caring for a 2-month-old with a cleft palate. The child will undergo corrective surgery at age 3 months. The mother would like to continue breastfeeding the baby after surgery and wonders if it is possible. How should the nurse respond? A) "There is a good chance that you will be able to breastfeed almost immediately." B) "Breastfeeding is likely to be possible, but check with the surgeon." C) "After the suture line heals, breastfeeding can resume." D) "We will have to wait and see what happens after the surgery."
Ans: B Feedback: Postoperatively, some surgeons allow breastfeeding to be resumed almost immediately. However, the nurse needs to advise the mother to check with the surgeon to determine when breastfeeding can resume. Telling the mother that she has to wait until the suture line heals may be inaccurate. Telling her to wait and see does not answer her question.
Origin: Chapter 20, 13 The nurse is determining maintenance fluid requirements for a child who weighs 25 kg. How much fluid would the child need per day? A) 1,560 mL B) 1,600 mL C) 1,650 mL D) 1,700 mL
Ans: B Feedback: Using the following formula of 100 mL/kg for the first 10 kg, plus 50 mL/kg for the next 10 kg, and then 20 mL/kg for the remaining kg, the child would require (100 × 10) + (50 × 10) + (20 × 5) = 1,000 + 500 + 100 = 1,600 mL in 24 hours.
Origin: Chapter 20, 19 The parents of a 6-week-old boy come to the clinic for evaluation because the infant has been vomiting. The parents report that the vomiting has been increasing in frequency and forcefulness over the last week. The mother says, "Sometimes, it seems like it just bursts out of his mouth." A diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is suspected. When performing the physical examination, what would the nurse most likely find? A) Sausage-shaped mass in the upper midabdomen B) Hard, moveable, olive-shaped mass in the right upper quadrant C) Tenderness over the McBurney point in the right lower quadrant D) Abdominal pain in the epigastric or umbilical region
Ans: B Feedback: With hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, a hard, moveable, olive-shaped mass would be palpated in the right upper quadrant. A sausage-shaped mass in the upper midabdomen would suggest intussusception. Tenderness over the McBurney point would be associated with appendicitis. Epigastric or umbilical pain would be associated with peptic ulcer disease.
Origin: Chapter 20, 28 The nurse is caring for a 6-month-old with a cleft lip and palate. The mother of the child demonstrates understanding of the disorder with which statements? Select all that apply. A) "My smoking during pregnancy didn't have anything to do with this disorder. Smoking primarily causes low birth weight." B) "I know my baby takes a lot longer to feed than most children this age." C) "It really worries me that my baby may have some other disorders that haven't been detected yet." D) "I wonder if my baby will develop speech problems when language development begins?" E) "Thankfully there are doctors that specialize in correcting this type of disorder."
Ans: B, C, D, E Feedback: Feeding and speech are especially difficult for the child with cleft lip and palate until the defect is repaired. Cleft lip and palate occurs frequently in association with other anomalies and has been identified in more than 350 syndromes. Plastic surgeons or craniofacial specialists, oral surgeons, dentists or orthodontists, and prosthodontists are some of the physicians that specialize in repair of this disorder. The mother is incorrect in stating that smoking is not associated with cleft lip or palate. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for the disorder.
Origin: Chapter 20, 29 The nurse is performing a gastrointestinal assessment on a 7-year-old boy. The parents are assisting with the history. Which assessment findings are indicative of constipation? Select all that apply. A) "Our child only has 3 to 4 bowel movements per week." B) "Our child complains of pain because his bowel movements are so hard." C) "Our child tells us that his belly hurts a lot of the time." D) "I can tell he holds his bowel movement much of the time because of the way he stands." E) "I find smears of stool in his underwear almost every day."
Ans: B, C, D, E Feedback: Pain, stool withholding behavior (retentive posturing), and encopresis (soiling of fecal contents into the underwear beyond the age of expected toilet training) are all signs of chronic functional constipation. Less than 3 bowel movements is considered constipation.
Origin: Chapter 20, 12 Which finding would lead the nurse to suspect that a child is experiencing moderate dehydration? A) Dusky extremities B) Tenting of skin C) Sunken fontanels D) Hypotension
Ans: C Feedback: A child with moderate dehydration would exhibit sunken fontanels. Severe dehydration would be characterized by dusky extremities, skin tenting, and hypotension.
Origin: Chapter 20, 11 When examining the abdomen of a child, which technique would the nurse use last? A) Auscultation B) Percussion C) Palpation D) Inspection
Ans: C Feedback: Palpation should be the last part of the abdominal examination. Inspection, auscultation, and percussion should be done before palpation.
Origin: Chapter 20, 23 A child is scheduled for a lower endoscopy. What would the nurse include in the child's plan of care in preparation for this test? A) Explaining about the need to ingest barium B) Establishing an intravenous access for radionuclide administration C) Administering the prescribed bowel cleansing regimen D) Withholding prescribed proton pump inhibitors for 5 days before
Ans: C Feedback: Prior to a lower endoscopy, the child must undergo bowel cleansing to allow visualization of the lower gastrointestinal tract via a fiberoptic instrument. Barium is ingested for an upper gastrointestinal and/or small bowel series. Radionuclides are used with a hepatobiliary scan. Proton pump inhibitors are withheld for 5 days before a urea breath test.
Origin: Chapter 20, 8 The nurse has developed a plan of care for a 12-month-old hospitalized with dehydration as a result of rotavirus. Which intervention would the nurse include in the plan of care? A) Encouraging consumption of fruit juice B) Offering Kool-Aid or popsicles as tolerated C) Encouraging milk products to boost caloric intake D) Maintaining the intravenous (IV) fluid rate as ordered
Ans: D Feedback: The nurse should maintain an IV line and administer the IV fluid as ordered to maintain fluid volume. High-carbohydrate fluids like fruit juice, Kool-Aid, and popsicles should be avoided as they are low in electrolytes, increase simple carbohydrate consumption, and can decrease stool transit time. Milk products should be avoided during the acute phase of illness as they may worsen diarrhea.
Origin: Chapter 20, 17 A group of students are reviewing information about fluid balance and losses in children in comparison to adults. The students demonstrate a need for additional review when they state that: A) children have a proportionately greater amount of body water than do adults. B) fever plays a greater role in insensible fluid losses in infants and children. C) a higher metabolic rate plays a major role in increased insensible fluid losses. D) the infant's immature kidneys have a tendency to overconcentrate urine.
Ans: D Feedback: The young infant's renal immaturity does not allow the kidneys to concentrate urine as well as in older children and adults, placing them at risk for dehydration or overhydration. Children do have a proportionately greater amount of body water than adults, and fever is important in promoting insensible fluid losses in infants and children because children become febrile more readily and their fevers are higher than those in adults. Children also experience a higher metabolic rate, which accounts for increased insensible fluid losses and increased need for water for excretory function.