Nursing Elites

1. Which of the following clinical signs would MOST suggest acute respiratory distress in a 2-month-old infant?

• A. Heart rate of 130 beats/min
• B. Respiratory rate of 30 breaths/min
• C. Abdominal breathing
• D. Grunting respirations

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Grunting respirations are a key clinical sign of acute respiratory distress in infants. Grunting is a protective mechanism where the infant exhales against a partially closed glottis to increase functional residual capacity and oxygenation. This is often seen in conditions such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, or other causes of respiratory compromise in infants. Monitoring respiratory patterns like grunting is crucial for early recognition and intervention in infants with respiratory distress. Choices A, B, and C are less specific to acute respiratory distress in infants. While an elevated heart rate and respiratory rate can be present in respiratory distress, grunting respirations are a more direct indicator of significant respiratory compromise in infants.

2. What is the pattern of fever in enteric fever?

• A. Intermittent fever
• B. Relapsing fever
• C. Pel-Ebstein fever
• D. Continuous fever

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Enteric fever, caused by Salmonella typhi or paratyphi, is characterized by a continuous fever pattern. The fever typically persists without significant fluctuations, distinguishing it from diseases with intermittent or relapsing fever patterns. Pel-Ebstein fever, a cyclic pattern of fever seen in Hodgkin's lymphoma, is not associated with enteric fever. Relapsing fever is a characteristic of diseases like Borrelia recurrentis infection. Intermittent fever is seen in conditions like malaria.

3. You are dispatched to a residence for a child with respiratory distress. The child is wheezing and has nasal flaring and retractions. His oxygen saturation is 92%. You should:

• A. place the child in a supine position.
• B. administer high-flow oxygen.
• C. begin chest compressions.
• D. administer low-flow oxygen.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In a scenario where a child presents with respiratory distress, wheezing, nasal flaring, retractions, and an oxygen saturation of 92%, the appropriate intervention is to administer high-flow oxygen. This helps to improve oxygenation and alleviate the respiratory distress the child is experiencing. Placing the child in a supine position can worsen their condition by affecting their ability to breathe effectively. Chest compressions are not indicated in this case as the child is not in cardiac arrest. Administering low-flow oxygen may not provide adequate oxygenation for a child in respiratory distress with a saturation of 92%. Therefore, the priority is to administer high-flow oxygen to improve oxygen levels and support the child's breathing.

4. When responding to a call for a 2-year-old child who fell from a second-story window, with the mechanism of injury and the age of the patient in mind, you should suspect that the primary injury occurred to the child's:

• A. chest.
• B. head.
• C. lower extremities.
• D. abdomen.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In a scenario where a young child falls from a significant height like a second-story window, the primary injury is more likely to be to the head. This is because young children have proportionately larger head sizes compared to their body, making them more susceptible to head injuries in such falls. The chest (Choice A), lower extremities (Choice C), and abdomen (Choice D) are less likely to sustain the primary injury in this scenario, as the impact of the fall and the child's anatomy predispose the head to be the most affected area.

5. In contrast to the contractions associated with true labor, Braxton-Hicks contractions:

• A. generally follow rupture of the amniotic sac and occur with regularity.
• B. may be intensified by activity and are accompanied by a pink discharge.
• C. do not increase in intensity and are alleviated by a change in position.
• D. consistently become stronger and are not alleviated by changing position.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Braxton-Hicks contractions are irregular and usually do not increase in intensity. Unlike true labor contractions, they tend to alleviate with a change in position, making option C the correct choice. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because Braxton-Hicks contractions do not follow rupture of the amniotic sac, are not intensified by activity or accompanied by a pink discharge, and do not consistently become stronger or are not alleviated by changing position.

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