Wong Ch 16:Health Problems of School-Age Children and Adolescents

A 13-year-old boy comes to the school nurse complaining of sudden and severe scrotal pain. He denies any trauma to the scrotum. What is the most appropriate nursing action? a. Refer him for immediate medical evaluation. b. Administer analgesics and recommend scrotal support. c. Apply an ice bag and observe for increasing pain. d. Reassure the adolescent that occasional pain is common with the changes of puberty.

ANS: A Any adolescent boy with redness, swelling, or pain in the scrotum is referred for immediate evaluation. These are signs of testicular torsion, which is a medical emergency. If the possibility of testicular torsion is eliminated, appropriate interventions include administering analgesics and recommending scrotal support. applying an ice bag and observing for increasing pain. and reassuring the adolescent that occasional pain is common with the changes of puberty.

A 15-year-old girl tells the school nurse that she has not started to menstruate yet. Onset of secondary sexual characteristics was about 2 1/2 years ago. The nurse should take which action? a. Explain that this is not unusual. b. Refer the adolescent for an evaluation. c. Make an assumption that the adolescent is pregnant. d. Suggest that the adolescent stop exercising until menarche occurs.

ANS: B A referral is indicated. Menarche should follow the onset of secondary sexual development within 2 1/2 years. A careful examination is done to reveal any physical abnormalities, signs of androgen excess, and congenital defects of the genital tract. The lack of the onset of menstruation at this age is a potential indication of a physical problem. Assuming that the adolescent is pregnant is inappropriate. The nurse does not have any indication that the adolescent is sexually active. The amount of exercise should be assessed before suggesting that the adolescent stop exercising until menarche occurs.

What do nursing responsibilities regarding weight gain for an adolescent with anorexia nervosa include? a. Administer tube feedings until target weight is achieved. b. Restore body weight to within 10% of the adolescents ideal weight. c. Encourage continuation of strenuous exercise as long as adolescent is not losing weight. d. Facilitate as rapid a weight gain as possible with a high-calorie diet.

ANS: B The restoration of body weight to a target weight or endpoint within 10% of ideal body weight is one of the main goals of therapy. Strenuous exercise is avoided as part of the need to modify behaviors. Tube feedings are intrusive and are avoided. They should only be used when other measures have failed. Weight restoration is accomplished slowly. The goal is 1 kg/wk to avoid the risk of metabolic and cardiac problems. Slow weight gain can minimize anxiety and depression.

What goal is most important when caring for a child with anorexia nervosa (AN)? a. Limit fluid intake. b. Prevent depression. c. Correct malnutrition. d. Encourage weight gain.

ANS: C In children diagnosed with AN or bulimia nervosa, the priority consideration is to correct the malnutrition. Severe malnutrition, electrolyte disturbances, vital sign abnormalities, and psychiatric disorders may be present. Careful monitoring is necessary to avoid complications. Often fluid intake is restricted by individuals with AN. Fluid balance must be restored. Preventing depression is important, but the correction of potentially life-threatening malnutrition takes precedence. After the initial malnutrition is corrected, then a plan is established for nutritional therapy.

Descriptions of young people with anorexia nervosa (AN) often include which criteria? a. Impulsive b. Extroverted c. Perfectionist d. Low achieving

ANS: C Individuals with AN are described as striving for perfection, which may manifest in other compulsive disorders. They are also academically high achievers. Impulsive and extroverted personalities are more characteristic of bulimia nervosa.

What behavior is the nurse most likely to assess in an adolescent with anorexia nervosa (AN)? a. Eats in secrecy b. Uses food as a coping mechanism c. Has a marked preoccupation with food d. Lacks awareness of how eating affects weight loss

ANS: C Individuals with AN display great interest in food. They prepare meals for others, talk about food, and hoard food. During meals, food play may occur to appear as if the person is eating. Persons with AN consume a small amount of food, so they have no need to eat in secrecy. Individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) usually binge privately. Food is not used as a coping mechanism in AN, as is common in BN. Individuals with AN know about the relationship between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. They can regulate intake and then exercise to not gain or to lose weight.

The nurse should know what about Lyme disease? a. Very difficult to prevent b. Easily treated with oral antibiotics in stages 1, 2, and 3 c. Caused by a spirochete that enters the skin through a tick bite d. Common in geographic areas where the soil contains the mycotic spores that cause the disease

ANS: C Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete spread by ticks. The early characteristic rash is erythema migrans. Tick bites should be avoided by entering tick-infested areas with caution. Light-colored clothing should be worn to identify ticks easily. Long-sleeve shirts and long pants tucked into socks should be worn. Early treatment of the erythema migrans (stage 1) can prevent the development of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete, not mycotic spores.

What is a characteristic of children with depression? a. Increased range of affective response b. Tendency to prefer play instead of schoolwork c. Change in appetite resulting in weight loss or gain d. Preoccupation with need to perform well in school

ANS: C Physiologic characteristics of children with depression include changes in appetite resulting in weight loss or gain, nonspecific complaints of not feeling well, alterations in sleeping patterns, insomnia or hypersomnia, and constipation. Children who are depressed have sad facial expressions with absent or diminished range of affective response. These children withdraw from previously enjoyed activities and engage in solitary play or work with a lack of interest in play. They are uninterested in doing homework or achieving in school, resulting in lower grades.

Which symptoms are commonly seen in a child with depression? Select all that apply. A. Focus on violence B. Excessive laughing C. Somatic complaints D. Increased motor activity E. Poor school performance

ANS: C, E Children with depression will complain of nonspecific complaints such as not feeling well. Children with depression will show a lack of interest in doing homework or achieving in school and getting lower grades than usual. Focus on violence can be associated with depression in the adolescent. A child with depression exhibits predominantly sad facial expression with absence or diminished range of affective response. Children with depression will have diminished motor activity and complain of being too tired.

The nurse is presenting an educational program to a group of parents about differences between anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) at a community outreach program. What statement by a parent would indicate a need for additional teaching? a. A child with AN will turn away from food to cope, but a child with BN turns to food to cope. b. A child with AN maintains rigid control and is introverted, but a child with BN is an extrovert and frequently loses control. c. A child with AN denies the illness, but a child with BN recognizes the illness. d. A child with AN is usually sexually active and seeks intimacy, but a child with BN avoids intimacy and is usually not sexually active.

ANS: D A child with AN is usually the one who avoids intimacy and is not sexually active, but a child BN often seeks intimacy and is sexually active. A child with AN turns away from food to cope with life, maintains rigid control, is introverted, and denies the illness. A child with BN turns to food to cope, is an extrovert who loses control, and recognizes that he or she has an illness.

What is an important consideration in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? a. Learning disabilities are apparent at an early age. b. The child will always be distracted by external stimuli. c. Parental observations of the childs behavior are most relevant. d. It must be determined whether the childs behavior is age appropriate or problematic.

ANS: D The diagnosis of ADHD is complex. A multidisciplinary evaluation should be done to determine whether the childs behavior is appropriate for the developmental age or whether it is problematic. Learning disabilities are usually not evident until the child enters school. Each child with ADHD responds differently to stimuli. Some children are distracted by internal stimuli and others by external stimuli. Parents can only provide one viewpoint of the childs behavior. Many observers should be asked to provide input with structured tools to facilitate the diagnosis.

The nurse is teaching the parents of a child recently diagnosed with ADHD who has been prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin). Which of the following should the nurse include in teaching about the side effects of methylphenidate? a. "Your child may experience a sense of nervousness." b. "You may see an increase in your child's appetite." c. "Your child may experience daytime sleepiness." d. "You may see a decrease in your child's blood pressure."

a. "Your child may experience a sense of nervousness." Nervousness is one of the common side effects of Ritalin.

An adolescent girl tells the nurse that she is very suicidal. The nurse asks her if she has a specific plan. Asking this should be considered which of the following? a. An appropriate part of the assessment b. Not a critical part of the assessment c. Suggesting that the adolescent needs a plan d. Encouraging the adolescent to devise a plan

a. An appropriate part of the assessment Routine health assessments of adolescents should include questions that assess the presence of suicidal ideation or intent. Questions such as "Have you ever developed a plan to hurt yourself or kill yourself" should be part of that assessment.

What is the most significant factor in distinguishing those who commit suicide from those who make suicidal attempts or threats? a. Social isolation b. Level of stress c. Degree of depression d. Desire to punish others

a. Social isolation Social isolation is a significant factor in distinguishing adolescents who will kill themselves from those who will not. It is also more characteristic of those who complete suicide than of those who make attempts or threats.

Which of the following statements is true concerning adolescent suicide? a. A sense of hopelessness and despair are a normal part of adolescence. b. Gay and lesbian adolescents are at a particularly high risk for suicide. c. Problem-solving skills are of limited value to the suicidal adolescent. d. Previous suicide attempts are not an indication of risk for completed suicides.

b. Gay and lesbian adolescents are at a particularly high risk for suicide. A significant number of teenage suicides occur among homosexual youths. Gay and lesbian adolescents who live in families or communities that do not accept homosexuality are likely to suffer low self-esteem, self-loathing, depression, and hopelessness as a result of a lack of acceptance from their family or community.

Which of the following is descriptive of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? a. Manifestations exhibited are so bizarre that the diagnosis is fairly easy. b. Manifestations affect every aspect of the child's life but are most obvious in the classroom. c. Learning disabilities associated with ADHD eventually disappear when adulthood is reached. d. Diagnosis of ADHD requires that all manifestations of the disorder be present.

b. Manifestations affect every aspect of the child's life but are most obvious in the classroom. ADHD affects every aspect of the child's life, but the disruption is most obvious in the classroom.

Young people with anorexia nervosa are often described as being which of the following? a. Independent b. Disruptive c. Conforming d. Low achieving

c. Conforming Individuals with anorexia nervosa are described as perfectionist, academically high achievers, conforming, and conscientious.

Prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in adolescents is important because it: a. is easily prevented by proper personal hygiene. b. is easily prevented by compliance with any form of contraception. c. can have devastating effects on the reproductive tract of affected adolescents. d. can cause life-threatening and serious defects in the future children of affected adolescents.

c. can have devastating effects on the reproductive tract of affected adolescents. PID is a major concern because of its devastating effects on the reproductive tract. Short-term complications include abscess formation in the fallopian tubes, whereas long-term complications include ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and dyspareunia.

Adolescents with bulimia may experience which of the following complications as a result of the frequent vomiting? a. Diarrhea b. Amenorrhea c. Cold intolerance d. Erosion of tooth enamel

d. Erosion of tooth enamel Some of the signs of bulimia include erosion of tooth enamel, increased dental caries from vomited gastric acid, throat complaints, fluid and electrolyte disturbances, and abdominal complaints from laxative abuse.

Which of the following symptoms would the nurse expect to observe during the physical assessment of an adolescent girl with severe weight loss and disrupted metabolism associated with anorexia nervosa? a. Dysmenorrhea and oliguria b. Tachycardia and tachypnea c. Heat intolerance and increased blood pressure d. Lowered body temperature and brittle nails

d. Lowered body temperature and brittle nails Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include lower body temperature, severe weight loss, decreased blood pressure, dry skin, brittle nails, altered metabolic activity, and presence of lanugo hair.

Anorexia nervosa may best be described as which of the following? a. Occurs most frequently in adolescent males b. Occurs most frequently in adolescents from lower socioeconomic groups c. Results from a posterior pituitary disorder d. Results in severe weight loss in the absence of obvious physical causes

d. Results in severe weight loss in the absence of obvious physical causes The etiology of anorexia remains unclear, but a distinct psychologic component is present. The diagnosis is based primarily on psychologic and behavioral criteria.

The weight loss of anorexia nervosa is usually triggered by which of the following? a. Sexual abuse b. School failure c. Independence from family d. Traumatic interpersonal conflict

d. Traumatic interpersonal conflict Weight loss may be triggered by a typical adolescent crisis such as the onset of menstruation or a traumatic interpersonal incident; situations of severe family stress, such as parental separation or divorce; or circumstances in which the young person lacks personal control, such as being teased, changing schools, or entering college.

Which of the following is descriptive of bulimia during adolescence? a. Strong sense of control over eating behavior b. Feelings of elation after the binge-purge cycle c. Profound lack of awareness that the eating pattern is abnormal d. Weight that can be normal, slightly above normal, or below normal

d. Weight that can be normal, slightly above normal, or below normal Individuals with bulimia are of normal or more commonly slightly above normal weight. Those who also restrict their intake can become severely underweight.