PEDIATRICS HESI EXAM |ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS|BRAND NEW 2026-2027
UPDATE|GRADED A+
Question 1
The nurse is preparing a child with an intussusception for a prescribed barium enema.
What is the main purpose of conducting this procedure prior to surgical intervention?
A.Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces.
B.Reduce the invaginated bowel segment.
C.Locate the presence of diverticula.
D.Identify the area of esophageal atresia.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: B
Intussusception, an invagination or telescoping of one portion of the intestine into
another, causes intestinal obstruction in children (usually occurs between 3 months and
5 years of age). Nonsurgical treatment is attempted with hydrostatic pressure created by
barium instillation, which often reduces the area of bowel intussusception (B), thereby
negating the need for surgical intervention. A barium enema is likely to cause (A). A
barium enema could be used to detect (C), but this is not the reason for its use with
intussusception. (D) is not a use for a barium enema.
Question 2
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@THE STUDY VAULT
,The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a Milwaukee brace that her
health care provider has prescribed. Which instruction should the nurse provide to this
client?
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: A
The Milwaukee brace is designed to slow the progression in spinal curvature while the
adolescent is growing. The brace should be worn 23 hours a day and removed a total of 1
hour a day for hygiene (A). There are no specific exercises for increasing the range of
motion in the back that should be performed (B). A T shirt should be worn next to the
body and the brace put on over the T shirt to protect the skin (C). The brace will not cure
the spinal curvature (D) but should slow the progression of the scoliosis.
Question 3
The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic heart defect to perform
which action when a hypercyanotic spell occurs?
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the level of the heart.
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one pillow.
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@THE STUDY VAULT
,C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water, and take deep
breaths.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: C
Assuming a knee-chest position with the head and chest slightly elevated (C) will help
restore hemodynamic equilibrium. (A and B) are incorrect positions and may hinder the
child's condition. (D) may cause chest pain or a vasovagal response, with resulting
hypotension.
Question 4
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope examination of a child's ear reveals
a tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. Based on
these findings, what action should the nurse take?
A.No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a school-aged child.
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a health care provider.
D.Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for the rest of the day.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: B
More information is needed to interpret these findings (B). The tympanic membrane is
normally pearly gray, not bulging, and moves when a client blows against resistance or
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@THE STUDY VAULT
, when a small puff of air is blown into the ear canal. Because these findings are not
completely normal, further assessment of history and related signs and symptoms are
needed to interpret the findings accurately. Based on the data obtained from the
otoscope examination, (A, C, and D) are not indicated.
Question 5
A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for the first follow-up
assessment with the nurse. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial symptom is she most
likely to exhibit?
A.Shortness of breath
B.Joint pain
C.Persistent cold
D.Organomegaly
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: C
Respiratory tract infections commonly occur in the pediatric population, but the child
with AIDS has a decreased ability to defend the body against these common infections.
Thus, the most typical presenting symptom of a child who contracted AIDS through
vertical transmission (i.e., from the mother during delivery) is a persistent cold or
respiratory infection (C). (A, B, and D) are symptoms of AIDS complications that may
occur later as the disease progresses.
Question 6
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@THE STUDY VAULT
VERIFIED ANSWERS|BRAND NEW 2026-2027
UPDATE|GRADED A+
Question 1
The nurse is preparing a child with an intussusception for a prescribed barium enema.
What is the main purpose of conducting this procedure prior to surgical intervention?
A.Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces.
B.Reduce the invaginated bowel segment.
C.Locate the presence of diverticula.
D.Identify the area of esophageal atresia.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: B
Intussusception, an invagination or telescoping of one portion of the intestine into
another, causes intestinal obstruction in children (usually occurs between 3 months and
5 years of age). Nonsurgical treatment is attempted with hydrostatic pressure created by
barium instillation, which often reduces the area of bowel intussusception (B), thereby
negating the need for surgical intervention. A barium enema is likely to cause (A). A
barium enema could be used to detect (C), but this is not the reason for its use with
intussusception. (D) is not a use for a barium enema.
Question 2
1
@THE STUDY VAULT
,The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a Milwaukee brace that her
health care provider has prescribed. Which instruction should the nurse provide to this
client?
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: A
The Milwaukee brace is designed to slow the progression in spinal curvature while the
adolescent is growing. The brace should be worn 23 hours a day and removed a total of 1
hour a day for hygiene (A). There are no specific exercises for increasing the range of
motion in the back that should be performed (B). A T shirt should be worn next to the
body and the brace put on over the T shirt to protect the skin (C). The brace will not cure
the spinal curvature (D) but should slow the progression of the scoliosis.
Question 3
The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic heart defect to perform
which action when a hypercyanotic spell occurs?
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the level of the heart.
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one pillow.
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@THE STUDY VAULT
,C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water, and take deep
breaths.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: C
Assuming a knee-chest position with the head and chest slightly elevated (C) will help
restore hemodynamic equilibrium. (A and B) are incorrect positions and may hinder the
child's condition. (D) may cause chest pain or a vasovagal response, with resulting
hypotension.
Question 4
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope examination of a child's ear reveals
a tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. Based on
these findings, what action should the nurse take?
A.No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a school-aged child.
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a health care provider.
D.Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for the rest of the day.
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: B
More information is needed to interpret these findings (B). The tympanic membrane is
normally pearly gray, not bulging, and moves when a client blows against resistance or
3
@THE STUDY VAULT
, when a small puff of air is blown into the ear canal. Because these findings are not
completely normal, further assessment of history and related signs and symptoms are
needed to interpret the findings accurately. Based on the data obtained from the
otoscope examination, (A, C, and D) are not indicated.
Question 5
A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for the first follow-up
assessment with the nurse. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial symptom is she most
likely to exhibit?
A.Shortness of breath
B.Joint pain
C.Persistent cold
D.Organomegaly
CORRECT ANSWER
ANS: C
Respiratory tract infections commonly occur in the pediatric population, but the child
with AIDS has a decreased ability to defend the body against these common infections.
Thus, the most typical presenting symptom of a child who contracted AIDS through
vertical transmission (i.e., from the mother during delivery) is a persistent cold or
respiratory infection (C). (A, B, and D) are symptoms of AIDS complications that may
occur later as the disease progresses.
Question 6
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@THE STUDY VAULT
