Nursing Elites

1. Which drug is usually the best choice for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for a child in the immediate postoperative period?

• A. Codeine sulfate (Codeine)
• B. Morphine (Roxanol)
• C. Methadone (Dolophine)
• D. Meperidine (Demerol)

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Morphine is the drug of choice for PCA in children because of its efficacy, safety profile, and rapid onset of action for pain management.

2. A child diagnosed with a soft tissue tumor is being treated with chemotherapy. Prior to administering the chemotherapy, which laboratory test should the nurse monitor to determine if the child has any capability of fighting infections?

• A. Hemoglobin
• B. Red blood cell count
• C. Platelets
• D. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is crucial for determining the child's ability to fight infections. Neutrophils play a key role in combating bacterial infections. Monitoring the ANC is essential before administering chemotherapy, as a low ANC indicates an increased risk of infection. Hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and platelets are important for assessing oxygen-carrying capacity, anemia, and clotting function, respectively, but they do not directly reflect the child's capability to fight infections.

3. An infant has been diagnosed with bladder obstruction. What do symptoms of this disorder include?

• A. Renal colic
• B. Strong urinary stream
• C. Urinary tract infections
• D. Post urination dribbling

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Post-urination dribbling is a symptom of bladder obstruction due to the incomplete emptying of the bladder. A strong urinary stream is typically absent in such cases. UTIs are common, but dribbling is more directly related to the obstruction.

4. Which disease would require strict isolation of the patient?

• A. Mumps
• B. Chickenpox
• C. Exanthema subitum (roseola)
• D. Erythema infectiosum (fifth disease)

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Chickenpox. Chickenpox is highly infectious and is transmitted through direct contact, droplet spread, and contaminated objects. Due to its high communicability, strict isolation of the patient is necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. Mumps is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the infected person's saliva, with peak contagiousness before the onset of swelling. Exanthema subitum (roseola) has an unknown transmission source. Erythema infectiosum (fifth disease) is contagious before the appearance of symptoms. Therefore, these diseases do not require the same level of strict isolation as chickenpox.

5. Physiologically, the child compensates for fluid volume losses by which mechanism?

• A. Inhibition of aldosterone secretion
• B. Hemoconcentration to reduce cardiac workload
• C. Fluid shift from interstitial space to intravascular space
• D. Vasodilation of peripheral arterioles to increase perfusion

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In response to dehydration, the body compensates by shifting fluids from the interstitial spaces to the intravascular space to maintain blood pressure and perfusion to vital organs. Hemoconcentration and vasoconstriction are other compensatory mechanisms but are less immediate.

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