Respiratory/Cardio
A child with epiglottitis is drooling, sitting forward, and becomes agitated when staff approach.
Question: Why is agitation dangerous in this patient?
Answer: It can worsen airway obstruction and trigger complete airway closure.
A child with a shunt develops headache, vomiting, and lethargy.
Question: What should the nurse suspect?
Increased ICP
An infant with pyloric stenosis has projectile vomiting and a sunken fontanel.
Question: What complication is the nurse most concerned about?
Dehydration
A child with asthma is prescribed albuterol and fluticasone inhalers.
Question: Which inhaler should be used?
Albuterol
What are the ABCs of safe sleep?
Alone Back Crib
An infant with Tetralogy of Fallot becomes irritable, deeply cyanotic, and tachypneic during feeding.
Question: What complication is occurring?
Tet Spells
A child reports smelling something “burning” before a seizure begins.
Question: What is this warning sign called?
An aura.
A child with severe diarrhea has weak pulses, delayed capillary refill, and tachycardia.
Question: What stage of shock may this indicate?
Hypovolemic shock.
A child with RSV is sitting upright, leaning forward, and refusing to lie down.
Question: Why is this position helpful?
Improves air flow
A child receiving Morphine becomes difficult to arouse and has a respiratory rate of 8/min.
Question: What should the nurse do first?
Stop or hold med
A nurse notes weak femoral pulses and higher blood pressure in the arms than the legs.
Question: What congenital defect should the nurse suspect?
Coarctation of the aorta.
A child develops clear drainage from the nose after a skull fracture.
Question: What does this finding suggest?
CSF leak
A postoperative appendectomy patient develops a rigid abdomen, fever, and absent bowel sounds.
Question: What complication should the nurse suspect?
Peritonitis
A child admitted for status asthmaticus becomes drowsy with rising CO₂ levels.
Question: What does rising CO₂ indicate in asthma?
Respiratory failure/fatigue.
A child with Sickle Cell Disease reports severe pain in the arms and legs after being outside in cold weather.
Question: What complication is the child most likely experiencing?
Vaso-occlusive pain crisis.
A child with Tetralogy of Fallot has oxygen saturation that does not fully improve with oxygen therapy alone.
Question: Why may oxygen alone not completely correct cyanosis?
Blood is shunting around the lungs due to the heart defect.
A child has honey-colored crusted lesions around the mouth.
Question: What skin infection should the nurse suspect?
Impetigo.
A child has frothy urine and severe periorbital edema.
Question: What does frothy urine usually indicate?
Protein in the urine (proteinuria).
A child with cystic fibrosis is prescribed pancreatic enzymes with meals.
Question: When should the enzymes be given?
With all meals and snacks
An infant cries when the parent leaves the room but is comforted when needs are met consistently.
Question: According to Erik Erikson, what developmental stage is this?
Trust vs. mistrust.
A child with SVT suddenly becomes hypotensive and difficult to arouse.
Question: What does this indicate?
Poor cardiac output
A parent asks why aspirin should not be given during chickenpox.
Question: What is the nurse’s best response?
Aspirin increases the risk for Reye syndrome.
A newborn with bilious vomiting has a distended abdomen and absent bowel sounds.
Question: Why are absent bowel sounds concerning?
Obstructrion
A child with cystic fibrosis is dehydrated after playing outside in hot weather.
Question: Why are children with cystic fibrosis at increased risk for dehydration?
Excess salt loss through sweat.
This vaccine is especially important for college students living in dorms due to close living conditions.
meningitis.