Chapter 45: Nursing Care of a Family When a Child Has a Gastrointestinal Disorder

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 The young child should be started on a starch-free, low-fat diet. Bananas contain invert sugar and are usually well tolerated. Products that contain wheat, rye, or oats should be excluded.

Which is most important for caregivers to consider when caring for a newborn with colic?

Colic is temporary; disappears around 3 months of age. It is most important for the caregiver to realize that colic is temporary and usually disappears around 3 months of age. Colic does not mean that parenting skills are not adequate. Colic does not indicate that the newborn is hungry; often crying after feeding is an indicator of hunger. There is no one single treatment that is consistently successful. It is not advised that the caregiver change formula without health care provider guidance.

A nurse suspects that a child is experiencing isotonic dehydration based on which assessment findings? Select all that apply.

Cool skin temperature. Irritability Normal serum sodium level Signs and symptoms of isotonic dehydration include mild thirst; poor skin turgor; cool, dry skin; decreased urine output; irritability; and normal serum sodium level. Extreme thirst suggests hypertonic dehydration. Cool, clammy skin suggests hypotonic dehydration.

A child presents with intermittent abdominal pain, severe anorexia, and diarrhea. The child's height and weight is significantly behind standards for age. There is skin breakdown in the anal region. The nurse explains that this presentation is consistent with which diagnosis?

Crohn disease Intermittent abdominal pain, anorexia, diarrhea, growth delays, and perianal lesions are characteristic of Crohn disease. In ulcerative colitis, the pain is continuous with bloody diarrhea, but anorexia, weight loss, and growth delay are mild. Food poisoning is an acute condition and may result in weight loss but not growth delays. In Hirschsprung disease the bowel lacks nerve innervation, so it lacks motility and fecal output.

The nurse is providing care to a child with an intussusception. The child has a bowel movement and the nurse inspects the stool. The nurse would most likely document the stool's appearance as having what quality?

Currant jelly-like The child with intussusception often exhibits currant jelly-like stools that may or may not be positive for blood. Greasy stools are associated with celiac disease. Clay-colored stools are observed with biliary atresia. Bloody stools can be seen with several gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease.

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?

Maintaining the intravenous (IV) fluid rate as ordered 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.

A school aged child is brought to the emergency room by her parents with severe abdominal pain. The nurse performs a physical assessment to check for appendicitis. Which assessment parameters indicate appendicitis? Select all that apply.

Normal to hyperactive bowel sounds early Hypoactive bowel sounds with perforation Irritation and pain in the right lower quadrant Low-grade fever, nausea, anorexia, and vomiting On auscultation, bowel sounds are normal to hyperactive early in the course of appendicitis but become hypoactive with perforation. Percussion reveals irritation and pain in the right lower quadrant. Rebound tenderness is present with palpation in the right lower quadrant. Low-grade fever, nausea, anorexia, and vomiting typically occur after the onset of abdominal pain. The abdomen appears flat with unperforated appendicitis, but abdominal distention may be present once perforation occurs.

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 With Meckel diverticulum, most symptomatic children present younger than age 2 years. Intermittent, painless rectal bleeding is the most common clinical manifestation of Meckel diverticulum. The blood is most often bright red or maroon and may be passed independent of stool due to ulceration at the junction of the ectopic tissue and the normal ileal mucosa.

The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in the United States is less than in many countries. What is the most likely reason for this?

Some foods in the U.S. have been fortified with vitamin D. Whole milk and evaporated milk fortified with 400 U of vitamin D per quart are available throughout the United States, which decreases the vitamin D deficiency of children in the U.S. Vitamin D can be administered orally in the form of fish liver oil or synthetic vitamin, but this is not common for children in the U.S. Water is not fortified with vitamin D, and some communities in the U.S. do not get adequate sunshine to meet vitamin D needs.

The caregiver of a child diagnosed with celiac disease tells the nurse that the child has large amounts of bulky stools and what looks like fat in his stools. The clinical manifestation this caregiver is describing is:

steatorrhea Steatorrhea (fatty stools) is a classic symptom of celiac disease. Currant jelly stools are a sign of intussusception. Projectile vomiting is a sign of pyloric stenosis.

The nurse is teaching an in-service program to a group of nurses on the topic of children diagnosed with Kwashiorkor. The nurses in the group make the following statements. Which statement is most accurate related to the diagnosis of Kwashiorkor?

"It is important to increase the intake of protein for these children." Kwashiorkor results from severe deficiency of protein with an adequate caloric intake. It accounts for most of the malnutrition in the world's children today. The highest incidence is in children 4 months to 5 years of age. Although strenuous efforts are being made around the world to prevent this condition, its causes are complex.

The nurse is caring for a child admitted with gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Which clinical manifestation would likely be seen in this child?

Effortless vomiting just after the child has eaten Almost immediately after feeding, the child with gastroesophageal reflux vomits the contents of the stomach. The vomiting is effortless, not projectile in nature.

A 10-year-old girl with an intestinal virus has been vomiting and has become dehydrated. She says she is mildly thirsty, her skin turgor is poor, and her skin is dry and cool. Her serum sodium level is normal. The nurse recognizes that she has which type of dehydration?

Isotonic Signs and symptoms of isotonic dehydration include the following: mild thirst; poor skin turgor; dry, cool skin; decreased urine output; irritability; and a normal sodium level. Signs and symptoms of hypotonic dehydration include the following: moderate thirst; very poor skin turgor; clammy, cool skin; decreased urine output; lethargy; and a reduced sodium level. Signs and symptoms of hypertonic dehydration include the following: extreme thirst; moderate skin turgor; warm skin; decreased urine output; extreme lethargy; and an increased sodium level. Acidotic is not a type of dehydration.

The caregiver of a child diagnosed with celiac disease tells the nurse that the child has large amounts of bulky stools and what looks like fat in his stools. The clinical manifestation this caregiver is describing is:

steatorrhea. Steatorrhea (fatty stools) is a classic symptom of celiac disease. Currant jelly stools are a sign of intussusception. Projectile vomiting is a sign of pyloric stenosis.

A young child has presented to the pediatric unit with a swollen abdomen, edema, thin patchy hair, and irritability with growth retardation and muscle wasting. The nurse suspects a malnutrition disorder. The nurse identifies this child to most likely have which of the following?

Kwashiorkor The symptoms presented are classic signs of Kwasiorkor due to the protein deficiency.

A nurse is assessing the stool of an infant during a clinic visit. The nurse determines that the stool is normal based on assessment of which characteristics? Select all that apply.

Lack of odor pH of 7.4 Negative for occult blood

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 With pyloric stenosis, at 4 to 6 weeks of age, infants typically begin to vomit almost immediately after each feeding. The vomiting grows increasingly forceful until it is projectile, possibly projecting as much as 3 to 4 feet. Infants are usually hungry immediately after vomiting because they are not nauseated. A definitive diagnosis can be made by watching the infant drink. If a pyloric stenosis is present, the sphincter feels round and firm, approximately the size of an olive in the right abdomen. Peptic ulcer disease in neonates usually presents with hematemesis (blood in vomitus) or melena (blood in the stool). Gastroesophageal reflux involves a small (1-2 tsp) volume and is not forceful. Appendicitis typically begins with anorexia for 12 to 24 hours; children do not eat and do not act like their usual selves. Nausea and vomiting may then occur, followed by diffuse abdominal pain.

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?

Hard, moveable, olive-shaped mass in the right upper quadrant 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.

A 10-year-old male presents with low-grade fever, nausea, and abdominal pain. The nurse examining him suspects appendicitis and checks for rebound tenderness in what quadrant?

Lower right With appendicitis, percussion reveals irritation and pain in the right lower quadrant. Rebound tenderness present with palpation in the right lower quadrant, is referred to as the McBurney point, an area of tenderness 1.5 to 2 in. (3.8 to 5 cm) in from the right anterior superior iliac spine along a line extending to the umbilicus.

A 12-year-old boy has just undergone a liver transplantation and is recovering. After performing a finger stick puncture and assessing the results, the nurse administers a 10% solution of dextrose IV. What is the correct rationale for this intervention?

Prevention of hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia is a major danger following liver transplantation because glucose levels are regulated by the liver, and the transplanted organ may not function efficiently at first. Assess serum glucose levels hourly by finger stick puncture. A 10% solution of dextrose IV may be necessary to prevent hypoglycemia. Careful tissue matching before the transplantation is needed to reduce the possibility of stimulating T-cell rejection. Sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium levels are evaluated approximately every 6 to 8 hours to be certain electrolyte balance is maintained, but potassium is rarely added to IV solutions because of the risk that renal failure has occurred. IV therapy with hypotensive agents such as hydralazine (Apresoline) and nitroprusside may be needed to reduce hypertension.

The nurse is teaching an in-service program to a group of nurses on the topic of gastrointestinal disorders. The nurses in the group make the following statements. Which statement is most accurately related to the diagnosis of colic?

There are recurrent paroxysmal bouts of abdominal pain. Colic consists of recurrent paroxysmal bouts of abdominal pain and is fairly common in young infants. Congenital aganglionic megacolon is characterized by persistent constipation resulting from partial or complete intestinal obstruction of mechanical origin. Pyloric stenosis is characterized by hypertrophy of the circular muscle fibers of the pylorus, which leads to an obstruction at the distal end of the stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs when the sphincter in the lower portion of the esophagus is relaxed and allows gastric contents to be regurgitated back into the esophagus.

The nurse is collecting data from the caregivers of a child who is suspected of having a food allergy. Which clinical manifestation would likely have been noted in this child?

Urticaria and pruritus Common symptoms are urticaria (hives), pruritus (itching), stomach pains, and respiratory symptoms. Some of the symptoms may appear quickly after the child has eaten the offending food, but other foods may cause a delayed reaction. Restlessness and irritability may be seen in children with seizure disorders, blinking and twitching of the mouth are seen with absence seizures, and nasal discharge and sneezing are seen with allergic rhinitis.