Deck 50: Cerebral Dysfunction

Question 1

A toddler fell out of a second-story window.She briefly lost consciousness and vomited four times.Since admission,she has been alert and oriented.Her mother asks why a computed tomography (CT)scan is required when she "seems fine." What knowledge should the nurse base her response on?

A) She may have a brain injury.
B) She needs this because of her age.
C) She may start having seizures.
D) She probably has a skull fracture.

Answer 1

She may have a brain injury.

Question 2

Which does the Glasgow Coma Scale assess?

A) Pupil reactivity and motor response
B) Eye-opening,verbal,and motor responses
C) Level of consciousness and verbal response
D) Intracranial pressure and level of consciousness

Answer 2

Eye-opening,verbal,and motor responses

Question 3

What type of fracture involves fragmented bone that is pushed inward and causes pressure on the brain?

A) Basilar
B) Compound
C) Open
D) Depressed

Answer 3

Depressed

Question 4

A 3-year-old child is hospitalized after a submersion injury.The child's mother complains to the nurse,"This seems unnecessary when he is perfectly fine." What is the basis for the nurses' response?

A) Supplemental oxygen is required after submersion injuries.
B) Hospitalization is probably not required.
C) Complications can occur after a submersion injury.
D) Observation is required for possible central nervous system problems.

Question 5

What term is used when a patient remains in a deep sleep,responsive only to vigorous and repeated stimulation?

A) Coma
B) Stupor
C) Obtundation
D) Persistent vegetative state

Question 6

Which statement best describes a neuroblastoma?

A) The diagnosis is usually made after metastasis occurs.
B) Early diagnosis is usually possible because of the obvious clinical manifestations.
C) It is the most common brain tumour in young children.
D) It is the most common benign tumour in young children.

Question 7

When providing discharge teaching to the mother of a child with a slight head injury,which symptom should the nurse tell the parent to seek medical attention for immediately?

A) Sleepiness
B) Vomiting,even once
C) Headache,even if slight
D) Confusion or abnormal behaviour

Question 8

What agents are implicated for causing viral encephalitis?

A) Tarantula spiders
B) Mosquitoes and ticks
C) Carnivorous wild animals
D) Domestic and wild animals

Question 9

The nurse is closely monitoring a child who is unconscious after a fall and notices that he suddenly has a fixed and dilated pupil.How should the nurse interpret this finding?

A) Eye trauma
B) Neurosurgical emergency
C) Severe brainstem damage
D) Indication of brain death

Question 10

The nurse is preparing a school-age child for a computed tomography (CT)scan to assess cerebral function.When preparing the child for the scan,which is the basis of the nurse's response?

A) Pain medication will be administered prior to the scan.
B) CT scans do not cause pain.
C) Movement is allowed once the equipment is in place.
D) No one is able to remain in the room with the child during the test.

Question 11

What is the priority nursing intervention when a child is unconscious after a fall?

A) Establish adequate airway.
B) Perform neurological assessment.
C) Monitor intercranial pressure.
D) Determine whether a neck injury is present.

Question 12

The nurse is assessing a child who was just admitted to the hospital for observation after a head injury.What is the most essential part of the nursing assessment to detect early signs of a worsening condition?

A) Posturing
B) Vital signs
C) Focal neurological signs
D) Level of consciousness

Question 13

An adolescent boy is brought to the emergency department after a motorcycle accident.His respirations are deep,periodic,and gasping.There are extreme fluctuations in his blood pressure.Pupils are dilated and fixed.What type of head injury should the nurse suspect?

A) Brainstem injury
B) Skull fracture
C) Subdural hemorrhage
D) Epidural hemorrhage

Question 14

Which neurological diagnostic test gives a visualized horizontal and vertical cross section of the brain at any axis?

A) Nuclear brain scan
B) Echoencephalography
C) Computed tomography (CT)scan
D) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Question 15

Which of the following describes a concussion?

A) Petechial hemorrhages that cause amnesia and cognitive delay
B) Visible bruising and tearing of cerebral tissue occurs
C) An alteration in neurological or cognitive function with or without loss of consciousness
D) A slight lesion that develops remote from the site of trauma with immediate loss of consciousness

Question 16

A school-age child has sustained a head injury and multiple fractures after being thrown from a horse.The child's level of consciousness is variable.The parents tell the nurse they think their child is in pain because of periodic crying and restlessness.What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?

A) Discuss with the parents the child's previous experiences with pain.
B) Discuss with the practitioner what analgesia can be safely administered.
C) Explain that analgesia is contraindicated with a head injury.
D) Explain that analgesia is unnecessary when a child is not fully awake and alert.

Question 17

Which term is used to describe the level of consciousness when a child can be aroused with stimulation?

A) Stupor
B) Confusion
C) Obtundation
D) Disorientation

Question 18

The mother of a 2-month-old infant tells the nurse that she worries her baby will get meningitis like her oldest son did when he was an infant.What knowledge should the nurse base her response on?

A) Meningitis rarely occurs during infancy.
B) Often there is a genetic predisposition to meningitis.
C) Vaccination to prevent all types of meningitis is now available.
D) Administration of Hib vaccine has decreased the frequency of bacterial meningitis.

Question 19

Which statement best describes a subdural hematoma?

A) Bleeding occurs between the dura and the skull.
B) Bleeding occurs between the dura and the arachnoid membrane.
C) Bleeding is generally arterial,and brain compression occurs rapidly.
D) The hematoma commonly occurs in the parietotemporal region.

Question 20

Which drug is used to treat a child who has increased intracranial pressure (ICP)resulting from cerebral edema?

A) Mannitol
B) Epinephrine hydrochloride
C) Atropine sulphate
D) Sodium bicarbonate

Question 21

An infant with hydrocephalus is hospitalized for surgical placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.What intervention should be included in the child's postoperative care?

A) Monitor for abdominal distension.
B) Pump the shunt reservoir to maintain patency.
C) Administer sedation to decrease irritability.
D) Maintain Trendelenburg position to decrease pressure on the shunt.

Question 22

Which is used in the treatment of brain tumours in children?

A) Radiation
B) Bone marrow transplantation
C) Myelography
D) Stem cell transplantation

Question 23

What is the initial clinical manifestation of generalized seizures?

A) Being confused
B) Feeling frightened
C) Losing consciousness
D) Seeing flashing lights

Question 24

What may be beneficial in reducing the risk of Reye's syndrome?

A) Immunization against the disease
B) Medical attention for all head injuries
C) Prompt treatment of bacterial meningitis
D) Avoidance of aspirin for children with varicella or influenza

Question 25

What is a clinical manifestation of increased intracranial pressure (ICP)in an infant?

A) Low-pitched cry
B) Sunken fontanel
C) Increased blood pressure
D) Irritability

Question 26

Which type of seizure involves both hemispheres of the brain?

A) Focal
B) Partial
C) Generalized
D) Acquired

Question 27

What is the priority nursing intervention when caring for a child with Reye's syndrome?

A) Monitor intake and output.
B) Prevent skin breakdown.
C) Observe for petechiae.
D) Do range-of-motion (ROM)exercises.

Question 28

What type of seizure may be difficult to detect?

A) Absence seizure
B) Generalized seizure
C) Simple partial seizure
D) Complex partial seizure

Question 29

A child is brought to the emergency department after experiencing a seizure at school.There is no previous history of seizures.The father tells the nurse that he cannot believe the child has epilepsy.What is the basis of the nurses' response?

A) Epilepsy is an easily treatable disease.
B) Very few children have actual epilepsy.
C) The seizure may or may not be an indication of epilepsy.
D) Reassure the father that his child probably does not have epilepsy.

Question 30

When assessing a child with increased intracranial pressure (ICP),which are considered late signs? Select all that apply.Express answer in small letters followed by a comma and a space-e.g. ,a,b,c

A) Vomiting
B) Bradycardia
C) Diplopia
D) Lethargy
E) Flexion posturing
F) Cheyne-Stokes respirations

Question 31

What is one important nursing intervention when caring for a child who is experiencing a seizure?

A) Describe and record the seizure activity observed.
B) Restrain the child when the seizure occurs to prevent bodily harm.
C) Place a tongue blade between the teeth if they become clenched.
D) Suction the child during a seizure to prevent aspiration.

Question 32

What symptoms were present in the child for the nurse to document the child's level of consciousness as a stupor? Select all that apply.Express answer with small letters followed by a comma and a space-e.g. ,a,b,c

A) Limited spontaneous movement
B) Responds to vigorous and repeated stimulation
C) Sluggish speech
D) Falls asleep very quickly
E) Moaning responses to stimulation

Question 33

Place the levels of consciousness descriptor terms in order,beginning with most alert state.

A) Confusion
B) Disorientation
C) Coma
D) Stupor
E) Persistent vegetative state
F) Obtundation
G) Lethargy

Question 34

When taking the history of a child hospitalized with Reye's syndrome,which would the nurse anticipate that the child experienced in the recent past?

A) Measles
B) Varicella
C) Meningitis
D) Hepatitis

Question 35

What clinical manifestations would suggest hydrocephalus in a newborn?

A) Bulging fontanel and dilated scalp veins
B) Closed fontanel and high-pitched cry
C) Constant low-pitched cry and restlessness
D) Depressed fontanel and decreased blood pressure

Question 36

Which are the key reflexes that demonstrate healthy neurological status in young infants? Select all that apply.Express answer in small letters followed by a comma and a space-e.g. ,a,b,c

A) Plantar reflex
B) Moro reflex
C) Tonic neck reflex
D) Corneal reflex
E) Withdrawal reflex
F) Babinski reflex