A nurse is assessing an adolescent client who has Hodgkin's lymphoma. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A. Hypertension is not a typical finding in severe dehydration. In fact, dehydration often leads to decreased blood pressure.

B. Increased urine output is not a typical finding in severe dehydration. Dehydration leads to decreased urine output as the body tries to conserve fluids.

C. This is the correct answer. In severe dehydration, the body compensates by increasing the respiratory rate to try to maintain oxygen levels and remove excess carbon dioxide. This is a compensatory mechanism in response to metabolic acidosis, which can occur with dehydration.

D. A capillary refill of 2 seconds indicates normal perfusion. In severe dehydration, capillary refill may be prolonged, indicating poor perfusion.

A. Absent nuchal rigidity is a positive sign in the context of managing bacterial
meningitis, but it alone does not determine when droplet precautions can be discontinued.

B. This is the correct answer. A negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture indicates that the bacterial infection has been effectively treated. Once the CSF culture is negative, the child is no longer considered contagious and can be removed from droplet precautions.

C. The initiation of antibiotics is an important step in treating bacterial meningitis, but the passage of time alone does not indicate when precautions can be discontinued. The
effectiveness of treatment is better determined by laboratory and clinical indicators.

D. The temperature is an important clinical parameter, but a temperature below 37.4° C (99.3° F) alone does not determine when droplet precautions can be discontinued. The decision is based on the resolution of the infectious process, as indicated by negative cultures.