Pediatric HESI Practice Questions
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1. The nurse is preparing a child with an intussuscep- ANS: B
tion for a prescribed barium enema. What is the
main purpose of conducting this procedure prior Intussusception, an invagina-
to surgical intervention? tion or telescoping of one por-
tion of the intestine into anoth-
A.Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces. er, causes intestinal obstruction
in children (usually occurs be-
B.Reduce the invaginated bowel segment. tween 3 months and 5 years
of age). Nonsurgical treatment
C.Locate the presence of diverticula. is attempted with hydrostatic
pressure created by barium in-
D.Identify the area of esophageal atresia. stillation, which often reduces
the area of bowel intussuscep-
tion (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.
2. The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scol- ANS: A
iosis about a Milwaukee brace that her health care
provider has prescribed. Which instruction should The Milwaukee brace is de-
the nurse provide to this client? signed to slow the progres-
sion in spinal curvature while
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing the adolescent is growing. The
only. brace should be worn 23 hours
a day and removed a total of
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion 1 hour a day for hygiene (A).
exercises. There are no specific exercises
, Pediatric HESI Practice Questions
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for increasing the range of mo-
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a tion in the back that should be
good fit. performed (B). A T shirt should
be worn next to the body and
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature. 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 pro-
gression of the scoliosis.
3. The nurse should teach the parents of a child with ANS: C
a cyanotic heart defect to perform which action
when a hypercyanotic spell occurs? Assuming a knee-chest position
with the head and chest slightly
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pil- elevated (C) will help restore he-
lows above the level of the heart. modynamic equilibrium. (A and
B) are incorrect positions and
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head may hinder the child's condition.
elevated on one pillow. (D) may cause chest pain or a
vasovagal response, with result-
C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, ing hypotension.
with the head and chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree an-
gle, drink cold water, and take deep breaths.
4. During routine screening at a school clinic, an ANS: B
otoscope examination of a child's ear reveals a
tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly More information is needed
bulging, and not movable. Based on these findings, to interpret these findings (B).
what action should the nurse take? The tympanic membrane is nor-
mally pearly gray, not bulging,
, Pediatric HESI Practice Questions
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6zv1qa
A.No action is required, because this is an expected and moves when a client blows
finding for a school-aged child. against resistance or when a
small puff of air is blown into the
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear canal. Because these find-
ear pain lately. ings are not completely normal,
further assessment of history
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the and related signs and symp-
child evaluated by a health care provider. toms are needed to interpret the
findings accurately. Based on
D.Call the parents and have them take the child the data obtained from the oto-
home from school for the rest of the day. scope examination, (A, C, and D)
are not indicated.
5. A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is ANS: C
scheduled for the first follow-up assessment with
the nurse. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial Respiratory tract infections com-
symptom is she most likely to exhibit? monly occur in the pediatric
population, but the child with
A.Shortness of breath AIDS has a decreased ability to
defend the body against these
B.Joint pain common infections. Thus, the
most typical presenting symp-
C.Persistent cold tom of a child who contract-
ed AIDS through vertical trans-
D.Organomegaly mission (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 oc-
cur later as the disease pro-
gresses.
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6zv1qa
1. The nurse is preparing a child with an intussuscep- ANS: B
tion for a prescribed barium enema. What is the
main purpose of conducting this procedure prior Intussusception, an invagina-
to surgical intervention? tion or telescoping of one por-
tion of the intestine into anoth-
A.Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces. er, causes intestinal obstruction
in children (usually occurs be-
B.Reduce the invaginated bowel segment. tween 3 months and 5 years
of age). Nonsurgical treatment
C.Locate the presence of diverticula. is attempted with hydrostatic
pressure created by barium in-
D.Identify the area of esophageal atresia. stillation, which often reduces
the area of bowel intussuscep-
tion (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.
2. The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scol- ANS: A
iosis about a Milwaukee brace that her health care
provider has prescribed. Which instruction should The Milwaukee brace is de-
the nurse provide to this client? signed to slow the progres-
sion in spinal curvature while
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing the adolescent is growing. The
only. brace should be worn 23 hours
a day and removed a total of
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion 1 hour a day for hygiene (A).
exercises. There are no specific exercises
, Pediatric HESI Practice Questions
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6zv1qa
for increasing the range of mo-
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a tion in the back that should be
good fit. performed (B). A T shirt should
be worn next to the body and
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature. 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 pro-
gression of the scoliosis.
3. The nurse should teach the parents of a child with ANS: C
a cyanotic heart defect to perform which action
when a hypercyanotic spell occurs? Assuming a knee-chest position
with the head and chest slightly
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pil- elevated (C) will help restore he-
lows above the level of the heart. modynamic equilibrium. (A and
B) are incorrect positions and
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head may hinder the child's condition.
elevated on one pillow. (D) may cause chest pain or a
vasovagal response, with result-
C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, ing hypotension.
with the head and chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree an-
gle, drink cold water, and take deep breaths.
4. During routine screening at a school clinic, an ANS: B
otoscope examination of a child's ear reveals a
tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly More information is needed
bulging, and not movable. Based on these findings, to interpret these findings (B).
what action should the nurse take? The tympanic membrane is nor-
mally pearly gray, not bulging,
, Pediatric HESI Practice Questions
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6zv1qa
A.No action is required, because this is an expected and moves when a client blows
finding for a school-aged child. against resistance or when a
small puff of air is blown into the
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear canal. Because these find-
ear pain lately. ings are not completely normal,
further assessment of history
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the and related signs and symp-
child evaluated by a health care provider. toms are needed to interpret the
findings accurately. Based on
D.Call the parents and have them take the child the data obtained from the oto-
home from school for the rest of the day. scope examination, (A, C, and D)
are not indicated.
5. A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is ANS: C
scheduled for the first follow-up assessment with
the nurse. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial Respiratory tract infections com-
symptom is she most likely to exhibit? monly occur in the pediatric
population, but the child with
A.Shortness of breath AIDS has a decreased ability to
defend the body against these
B.Joint pain common infections. Thus, the
most typical presenting symp-
C.Persistent cold tom of a child who contract-
ed AIDS through vertical trans-
D.Organomegaly mission (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 oc-
cur later as the disease pro-
gresses.
