what is the best indicator of fluid balance in a pediatric patient
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Nursing Elites

ATI RN

ATI Nursing Care of Children 2019 B

1. What is the best indicator of fluid balance in a pediatric patient?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Weight is the most accurate indicator of fluid balance in pediatric patients. Changes in weight reflect shifts in body fluid levels more directly compared to other parameters. Blood pressure and heart rate may be affected by various factors other than fluid balance. While urine output is important in assessing renal function, it may not provide a comprehensive picture of overall fluid balance in pediatric patients.

2. Which characteristic best describes the fine motor skills of an infant at age 5 months?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: By 5 months, infants develop the ability to grasp objects voluntarily, showing improved motor control. The neat pincer grasp and building towers are skills that develop later.

3. Which explains the importance of detecting strabismus in young children?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Undetected strabismus can lead to amblyopia, where the brain favors one eye over the other, potentially resulting in permanent vision loss in the affected eye.

4. Ongoing fluid losses can overwhelm the child’s ability to compensate, resulting in shock. What early clinical sign precedes shock?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Tachycardia is an early sign of shock as the body tries to maintain cardiac output in the face of declining circulatory volume. Blood pressure often remains normal until late in the progression, at which point decompensated shock is occurring.

5. Frequent urine tests for specific gravity are required on a 6-month-old infant. What method is the most appropriate way to collect small amounts of urine for these tests?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Aspirating urine from cotton balls inside the diaper is a minimally invasive method and effective for collecting small amounts of urine. Using a collection bag can be more cumbersome, and other methods are not as effective for this age.

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