Practice Test GeeksCPEN - Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse Practice Test
← All CPEN Flashcard Decks

Sepsis and Infectious Disease 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 Sepsis and Infectious Disease Emergencies flashcards as text

  1. A 5-year-old presents with high fever, drooling, stridor, and tripod positioning. The child appears toxic. Which action is MOST appropriate?

    Answer: Keep the child calm, call anesthesia/ENT, prepare for emergency airway

    In suspected epiglottitis, airway stability is paramount; agitating the child or attempting examination can precipitate complete obstruction — immediate expert airway management is required.

  2. Which antibiotic combination is recommended as empiric therapy for a neonate (< 28 days) with suspected sepsis without a focal source?

    Answer: Ampicillin and gentamicin

    Ampicillin plus gentamicin provides coverage for GBS, Listeria monocytogenes, and gram-negative organisms that are the most common neonatal pathogens.

  3. A 9-year-old with septic shock is on norepinephrine and epinephrine infusions but remains hypotensive. Bedside echocardiography shows severely depressed LV function. Which additional agent is MOST appropriate?

    Answer: Add milrinone

    Milrinone, a phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor, improves cardiac contractility and reduces afterload, making it appropriate for septic shock with significant myocardial dysfunction.

  4. Which clinical feature BEST distinguishes Kawasaki disease from sepsis in a febrile child?

    Answer: Fever lasting more than 5 days with conjunctivitis, oral changes, rash, and extremity changes

    Kawasaki disease is defined by fever ≥5 days plus at least 4 of 5 classic features (conjunctivitis, oral changes, rash, extremity changes, cervical lymphadenopathy), differentiating it from sepsis.

  5. A 12-year-old returns from a camping trip with fever, headache, myalgias, and a macular rash starting on the wrists and ankles spreading centrally. Which treatment should be initiated IMMEDIATELY?

    Answer: Doxycycline

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is treated with doxycycline in all age groups, including children, and delay in treatment significantly increases mortality.

  6. A 2-year-old with sepsis has a serum glucose of 38 mg/dL. Which dextrose concentration and dose is MOST appropriate for IV correction?

    Answer: D10W 5 mL/kg IV

    D10W at 5 mL/kg (providing 0.5 g/kg glucose) is the standard pediatric hypoglycemia correction dose; higher concentrations risk vascular injury and osmotic shifts.

  7. During the management of a child with meningococcal sepsis, the nurse notes new onset of unequal pupils and posturing. The MOST immediate intervention is:

    Answer: Administer mannitol 0.5-1 g/kg IV and prepare for possible intubation

    Unequal pupils and posturing indicate herniation or impending herniation; hyperosmolar therapy with mannitol and preparation for intubation to control ICP are the priority responses.