Question

The Child with Cerebral Dysfunction

The charge nurse in the pediatric neurologic intensive care unit is reviewing the change-of-shift report for several of the patients.

The patient is a 28-month-old toddler who has been on life support for 2 days after a submersion injury. The vehicle in which he was riding flipped over and landed upside down in a shallow lake. The toddler was submerged for approximately 6 minutes. He was resuscitated at the accident site within 10 minutes after being rescued and transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit.

Answer the following questions and give the rationale: (NOTE: Proper English grammar, word usage and a thorough response is required to answer the Rationale correctly!)

5. The charge nurse is assessing some of the information obtained during the hourly routine. Which assessment data would provide some indications of a good outcome?

1. The pupils react sluggishly but equally, and the child’s toes move when tickled.
2. The heart rate is regular, and the child lies quietly when his endotracheal tube is suctioned.
3. The body temperature has been 97 to 98 degrees, and the lung sounds are clear.
4. The oxygen saturation level is 98%, and the blood gases are within normal limits.

Answer: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Rationale: __________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer 1

5)A. Pupil reacts sluggishly but equally and the child's toe moves when kicked.Cerebral dysfunction defines the brain damage.Glasgowcoma scale is the neurologicl assessment done in the patient with brain injury .Usually in brain injury there is no pupillary reaction and pupils are fixed ,but in this case the child's pupils are sluggishly reacting and bilaterally equal which shows some improvement.Also , when the infants toes is kicked which moves and this indicates motor response is also present.