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Pediatric Assessment 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 Pediatric Assessment flashcards as text

  1. The AVPU scale is used to rapidly assess a child's level of consciousness. What does the 'P' stand for?

    Answer: Pain response

    In the AVPU scale, 'P' stands for responding to Pain, indicating the child responds only to painful stimuli.

  2. A 10-year-old child weighing 30 kg presents in cardiac arrest. Using the Broselow tape, the nurse should anticipate an epinephrine dose of:

    Answer: 0.3 mg IV

    Epinephrine for cardiac arrest is dosed at 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO; for a 30 kg child this equals 0.3 mg.

  3. Which sign differentiates obstructive shock from distributive shock in a pediatric patient?

    Answer: Distended neck veins and muffled heart sounds

    Jugular venous distension and muffled heart sounds (Beck's triad) suggest obstructive shock from cardiac tamponade, distinguishing it from distributive shock.

  4. When assessing respiratory distress in a toddler, nasal flaring PRIMARILY indicates:

    Answer: Increased respiratory effort to maximize airflow

    Nasal flaring is a compensatory mechanism in young children that dilates the nares to decrease airway resistance and increase airflow during respiratory distress.

  5. A 7-year-old has a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 8. Which airway intervention is MOST indicated?

    Answer: Definitive airway management (intubation)

    A GCS of 8 or below is a widely accepted threshold indicating inability to protect the airway and the need for definitive airway management.

  6. During trauma assessment of a 5-year-old, the nurse notes paradoxical chest wall movement. This finding is MOST consistent with:

    Answer: Flail chest

    Paradoxical movement—the chest segment moves inward during inhalation—is the hallmark of a flail chest caused by multiple rib fractures.

  7. A 4-month-old infant presents with lethargy, bulging fontanelle, and high-pitched cry. Which diagnosis should be IMMEDIATELY considered?

    Answer: Bacterial meningitis

    The triad of lethargy, bulging fontanelle, and high-pitched cry in an infant is a classic presentation of bacterial meningitis requiring urgent assessment and treatment.