Pediatric Respiratory questions with rationale

Pediatric Respiratory questions with rationale Latest Update 2025-2026 180 Questions and 100% Verified Correct Answers Guaranteed A+

• A school-age child has been diagnosed with nasopharyngitis. The parent is

concerned because the child has had little or no appetite for the last 24 hours. Which is the nurse's best response?

• "Do not be concerned; it is common for children to have a decreased appetite

during a respiratory illness."

• "Be sure your child is taking an adequate amount of fluids. The appetite should

return soon."

• "Try offering the child some favorite food. Maybe that will improve the appetite."
• "You need to force your child to eat whatever you can; adequate nutrition is

essential." - CORRECT ANSWER: ANS 2

• It is common for children to have a decreased appetite when they have a respiratory

illness. However, the nurse needs to instruct the parent to offer fluids to ensure the child stays hydrated.

• It is common for children to have a decreased appetite when they have a respiratory

illness. The nurse is appropriately instructing the parent that the child will be fine by taking in an adequate amount of fluid.

• The child may want to eat some favorite foods; however, the child will be fine if an

adequate amount of fluid is maintained.

• The parent should not force the child to eat; the child's appetite should return in a

couple of days. 1 / 4

TEST-TAKING HINT: Answer 4 can be eliminated because one should not force the

child to eat. If the word had been "encourage," it would have been a better choice, although still not the best answer. Answer 1 can be eliminated because the nurse did not inform the parent of the importance of maintaining adequate fluid intake.

A 2-year-old has just been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). The parents ask the nurse what early respiratory symptoms they should expect to see in their child. Which is the nurse's best response?

• "You can expect your child to develop a barrel-shaped chest."
• "You can expect your child to develop a chronic productive cough."
• "You can expect your child to develop bronchiectasis."
• "You can expect your child to develop wheezing respirations." - CORRECT

ANSWER: 4. Wheezing respirations and a dry, nonproductive cough are common early symptoms in CF.

TEST-TAKING HINT: Answer 2 can be eliminated because of the word "chronic." "Chronic" implies that the disease process is advanced rather than in the initial stages.Answers 1 and 3 can be eliminated if the test taker has knowledge of signs and symptoms of advanced lung disease.

A 3-year-old is brought to the ER with coughing and gagging. The parent reports that the child was eating carrots when she began to gag. Which diagnostic evaluation will be used to determine if the child has aspirated carrots?

• Chest x-ray.
• Bronchoscopy.
• Arterial blood gas (ABG).

4. Sputum culture. - CORRECT ANSWER: ANS 2

• / 4

• A chest x-ray will only show radiopaque items (items that x-rays cannot go through

easily), so it is not helpful in determining if the child aspirated a carrot.

• A bronchoscopy will allow the physician to visualize the airway and will help

determine if the child aspirated the carrot.

• A blood gas will identify whether the child has suffered any respiratory compromise,

but the blood gas cannot definitively determine the cause of the compromise.

• A sputum culture may be helpful several days later to determine if the child has

developed aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia may take several days or a week to develop following aspiration.

TEST-TAKING HINT: Answer 1 can be eliminated because items that are not

radiopaque (opaque to x-rays) cannot be seen on an x-ray. Answers 3 and 4 can be eliminated because they do not provide confirmation regarding whether the child aspirated.

A 5-year-old is brought to the ER with a temperature of 99.5°F (37.5°C), a barky cough, stridor, and hoarseness. Which nursing intervention should the nurse prepare for?

• Immediate IV placement.
• Respiratory treatment of racemic epinephrine.
• A tracheostomy set at the bedside.
• Informing the child's parents about a tonsillectomy. - CORRECT ANSWER: ANS 2

• The child is exhibiting signs and symptoms of croup and is in mild respiratory

distress.

• The child has stridor, indicating airway edema, which can be relieved by aerosolized

racemic epinephrine. 3 / 4

• A tracheostomy is not indicated for this child. A tracheostomy would be indicated for a

child with a complete airway obstruction.

• This child is exhibiting signs and symptoms of croup and has no indication of

tonsillitis. A tonsillectomy is usually reserved for children who have recurrent tonsillitis.

TEST-TAKING HINT: The test taker must accurately identify that the question is

describing a child with croup and know the accepted treatments.

A 6-week-old is admitted to the hospital with influenza. The child is crying, and the father tells the nurse that his son is hungry. The nurse explains that the baby is not to have anything by mouth. The parent does not understand why the child cannot eat.Which is the nurse's best response to the parent?

• "We are giving your child intravenous fluids, so there is no need for anything by

mouth."

• "The shorter and narrower airway of infants increases their chances of aspiration so

your child should not have anything to eat now."

• "When your child eats, he burns too many calories; we want to conserve the child's

energy."

• "Your child has too much nasal congestion; if we feed the child by mouth, the distress

will likely increase." - CORRECT ANSWER: ANS 2

• The child is receiving intravenous fluids, so he is being hydrated. However, this

response does not explain to the father why his son cannot eat.

• Infants are at higher risk of aspiration because their airways are shorter and narrower

than those of adults. An infant with influenza has lots of nasal secretions and coughs up mucus. With all the secretions, the infant is at an even higher risk of aspiration.

• / 4