Ch. 42 Gastrointestinal Disorders

The mother of a young child, who has been treated for a bacterial urinary tract infection, tells the nurse her daughter has a white thick covering over her tongue. The mother states that she "has tried everything to get it off my child's tongue." How should the nurse respond?

"It's not unusual for a fungal infection to occur while taking an antibiotic for an infection. I will let your primary care provider know so we can get it treated."

The nurse is doing dietary teaching with the caregivers of a child diagnosed with idiopathic celiac disease. Of the following foods, which would most likely be appropriate in the child's diet?

Bananas

A father brings his 10-year-old daughter in to the physician's office with jaundice, headache, fever, and anorexia, symptoms she has had for the past few days. The nurse should suspect infection of which organ in this client?

Liver

The digestive process begins in which organ of the gastrointestinal system?

Mouth

A mother calls the doctor's office and tells the nurse that she is concerned because her 4-month-old keeps "spitting up" with every feeding. What would indicate that the child is regurgitating as opposed to vomiting?

Only occurs with feeding

The nurse caring for an 18-month-old infant with Meckel diverticulum knows that the most common clinical manifestation of this condition is:

Painless rectal bleeding

The emergency department nurse is assessing a child who has presented with a 2-day history of nausea and vomiting with pain that is isolated to the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Which action is most appropriate?

Prepare the child for admission to the hospital

The nurse is caring for a child admitted with pyloric stenosis. Which clinical manifestation would likely have been noted in the child with this diagnosis?

Projectile vomiting

The nurse is discussing the treatment of congenital aganglionic megacolon with the caregivers of a child diagnosed with this disorder. Which statement is the best explanation of the treatment for this diagnosis?

"The treatment for the disorder will be a surgical procedure."

The nurse is teaching the mother of an infant with a temporary ileostomy about stoma care. What is the most important instruction to emphasize to the mother to avoid an emergency situation?

"Call the doctor immediately if the stoma is not pink/red and moist."

A nurse caring for Paulo, an infant born with a cleft palate, notices that the parents rarely interact with their child. The nurse overhears the mother telling her husband that she "feels like crying" every time she looks at their son. What would be the best response from the nurse?

"I sense you could use more information on caring for a cleft palate. Would you be interested in meeting with other parents who have dealt with this?"

The student nurse is preparing a presentation on celiac disease. What information should be included? Select all apply.

"The only treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet." "Gluten is found in most wheat products, rye, barley and possibly oats." "Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, steatorrhea, anemia, and dental disorders."

A neonatal nurse teaches students how to recognize gastrointestinal disorders in infants. The nurse tells the students that failure of the newborn to pass meconium in the first 24 hours after birth may indicate what disease?

Hirschsprung disease

A mother is alarmed because her 6-week-old boy has begun vomiting almost immediately after every feeding. In the past week, the vomiting has grown more forceful, with the vomit projecting several feet from his mouth. He is always hungry again just after vomiting. At the physician's office, the nurse holds the child and gives him a bottle of water. While he drinks, she notes an olive-size lump in his right abdomen. Which condition should the nurse suspect in this child?

Pyloric stenosis

In caring for an infant diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, the nurse would anticipate that she would:

prepare the infant for surgery.