Nursing Elites

1. You are treating a 5-year-old child who has had severe diarrhea and vomiting for 3 days and is now showing signs of shock. Supplemental oxygen has been given, and you have elevated his lower extremities. En route to the hospital, you note that his work of breathing has increased. You should:

• A. begin positive-pressure ventilations and reassess the child.
• B. lower the extremities and reassess the child.
• C. listen to the lungs with a stethoscope for abnormal breath sounds.
• D. insert a nasopharyngeal airway and increase the oxygen flow.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When the work of breathing increases after elevating the legs, it is important to lower the extremities. Elevating the lower extremities in a child with signs of shock can worsen the condition by reducing venous return to the heart. Lowering the extremities can help improve venous return and potentially alleviate the increased work of breathing.

2. What are the MOST important initial steps in assessing and managing a newborn?

• A. Drying and warming the infant, obtaining an APGAR score.
• B. Clearing the airway, keeping the infant warm.
• C. Suctioning the airway, obtaining a heart rate.
• D. Keeping the infant warm, counting respirations.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The most crucial initial steps in assessing and managing a newborn involve clearing the airway to ensure proper breathing and keeping the infant warm to maintain body temperature. Airway clearance helps prevent respiratory distress, while warmth is essential to prevent hypothermia, a common issue in newborns. These steps are vital in the immediate care of a newborn to support their transition to extrauterine life and ensure their well-being. Choice A is incorrect because obtaining an APGAR score is important but not as critical as clearing the airway. Choice C is incorrect as suctioning the airway is not always necessary and obtaining a heart rate is secondary to ensuring a clear airway and warmth. Choice D is incorrect because counting respirations is not as immediate and crucial as clearing the airway.

3. Which of the following are clinical types of diarrhoea EXCEPT?

• A. Acute watery
• B. Bloody diarrhoea
• C. Persistent diarrhoea
• D. Secretory diarrhoea

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Secretory diarrhoea is not a clinical type but a distinct mechanism of diarrhoea characterized by increased electrolyte secretion. Acute watery, bloody, and persistent diarrhoea are recognized clinical types associated with different underlying causes and pathophysiologies. Acute watery diarrhoea is common in infectious gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhoea can be caused by inflammatory conditions or infections, and persistent diarrhoea typically lasts for more than 14 days due to various reasons like infections, malabsorption, or inflammatory bowel diseases.

4. What assessment finding places a newborn at risk for developing physiologic jaundice?

• A. Cephalohematoma
• B. Mongolian spots
• C. Telangiectatic nevi
• D. Molding

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A, Cephalohematoma. Physiologic jaundice in newborns can occur due to the breakdown of excess red blood cells. A cephalohematoma, a collection of blood caused by ruptured blood vessels between a cranial bone's surface and periosteal membrane, can lead to increased red blood cell breakdown. This increased breakdown can contribute to the development of physiologic jaundice in newborns. Choices B, Mongolian spots, and C, Telangiectatic nevi, are both benign skin conditions and are not directly associated with increased red blood cell breakdown. Choice D, Molding, refers to the shaping of the fetal head during passage through the birth canal and is not related to the development of physiologic jaundice.

5. During the 5-minute Apgar assessment of a newborn, you note a heart rate of 130 beats/min, cyanosis in the hands and feet, and rapid respirations. The baby cries when you flick the soles of its feet and resists leg straightening. These findings correspond to an Apgar score of:

• A. 9
• B. 7
• C. 8
• D. 10

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The Apgar score is a rapid assessment tool to evaluate the newborn's transition to life outside the womb. The Apgar score is based on five components: heart rate (>100 bpm), respiratory effort (rapid breathing), muscle tone (resisting leg straightening), reflex irritability (crying when feet are flicked), and color (cyanosis to extremities). The described findings match a score of 9, indicating good overall condition and adaptation to extrauterine life.

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