A nurse is caring for a child who has a suspected diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?
Obtain blood cultures.
Administer an intravenous antibiotic.
Prepare the child for a lumbar puncture.
Place the child in isolation.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A rationale
Obtaining blood cultures is important for identifying the causative organism, but it should be done immediately before or concurrently with the administration of antibiotics.
Choice B rationale
Administering an intravenous antibiotic is the priority action for a child with suspected bacterial meningitis. Early administration of antibiotics is crucial to treat the infection and prevent complications such as brain swelling and seizures.
Choice C rationale
Preparing the child for a lumbar puncture is necessary for diagnosing meningitis, but it should not delay the administration of antibiotics.
Choice D rationale
Placing the child in isolation is important to prevent the spread of infection, but it is not the immediate priority over administering antibiotics.
Free Nursing Test Bank
- Free Pharmacology Quiz 1
- Free Medical-Surgical Quiz 2
- Free Fundamentals Quiz 3
- Free Maternal-Newborn Quiz 4
- Free Anatomy and Physiology Quiz 5
- Free Obstetrics and Pediatrics Quiz 6
- Free Fluid and Electrolytes Quiz 7
- Free Community Health Quiz 8
- Free Promoting Health across the Lifespan Quiz 9
- Free Multidimensional Care Quiz 10
View Related questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
ChoiceA rationale
Theapexoftheheart(apicalpulse)isthepreferredsiteforassessingtheheartrateininfants.It is located at the point of maximal impulse (PMI) and provides the most accuratemeasurementof theheartrateinthisagegroup.
ChoiceB rationale
The brachial artery is not the preferred site for assessing the heart rate in infants. While it canbeused forbloodpressuremeasurement,itisnotasaccurateastheapicalpulseforheartrateassessment.
ChoiceCrationale
Theradialarteryisnottypicallyusedforassessingthe heartrateininfants.Itismorecommonlyusedinolderchildren andadults.
ChoiceD rationale
Thecarotidarteryisnotrecommendedforassessingtheheartrateininfantsduetotheriskofcompressingtheairwayandcausingdiscomfort.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Auscultating for a cardiac murmur can be helpful but is not the most specific assessment for coarctation of the aorta. Murmurs can be present in various cardiac conditions.
Choice B rationale
Recording blood pressure in the upper extremities alone is not sufficient. Coarctation of the aorta often presents with a discrepancy between upper and lower extremity blood pressures.
Choice C rationale
Assessing for the presence of femoral pulses is crucial. In coarctation of the aorta, there is decreased blood flow to the lower extremities, leading to weak or absent femoral pulses.
Choice D rationale
Observing for excessive crying is non-specific and can be associated with many conditions, not just coarctation of the aorta.