CPEN Toxicology and Poisoning Emergencies Flashcards
7 cards from real CPEN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 CPEN Toxicology and Poisoning Emergencies flashcards as text
A 3-year-old ingested iron supplement tablets. Which early clinical sign is MOST associated with iron toxicity in the gastrointestinal phase?
Answer: Hematemesis and bloody diarrhea
Iron is directly corrosive to the GI tract, causing hematemesis, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal pain in the initial GI phase of toxicity.
Which antidote is indicated for severe iron poisoning in a pediatric patient?
Answer: Deferoxamine
Deferoxamine chelates free iron in the blood, forming ferrioxamine which is excreted renally, and is the antidote for severe iron toxicity.
A teenager presents with altered mental status, hyperthermia, tachycardia, and mydriasis after ingesting an unknown substance. These findings are MOST consistent with which toxidrome?
Answer: Sympathomimetic
Sympathomimetic toxidrome is characterized by hyperthermia, tachycardia, hypertension, mydriasis, and agitation due to excess catecholamine activity.
A 5-year-old is brought in after ingesting a button battery. Which complication is the MOST serious concern if the battery is lodged in the esophagus?
Answer: Esophageal perforation from liquefactive necrosis
Button batteries lodged in the esophagus generate hydroxide ions via electrical current, causing rapid liquefactive necrosis that can perforate the esophagus within 2 hours.
An 8-year-old ingested a large amount of acetaminophen 6 hours ago. The MOST important laboratory test to guide antidote therapy at this time is:
Answer: Serum acetaminophen level plotted on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram
The serum acetaminophen level drawn 4 or more hours post-ingestion and plotted on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram determines the risk of hepatotoxicity and the need for N-acetylcysteine.
A 2-year-old presents with a serum ethanol level of 80 mg/dL after ingesting mouthwash. Which complication requires PRIORITY monitoring in young children with ethanol ingestion?
Answer: Hypoglycemia
Young children are at high risk for ethanol-induced hypoglycemia because they have limited glycogen stores and ethanol inhibits gluconeogenesis.
Which of the following household products contains hydrocarbons and poses the GREATEST risk of aspiration pneumonitis in children?
Answer: Gasoline or lamp oil
Low-viscosity hydrocarbons like gasoline and lamp oil have a high aspiration potential due to their low surface tension, spreading easily into the lungs and causing pneumonitis.