The caregivers of a child just diagnosed with diabetes express concern that they won’t remember the different signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. As a result, they are afraid they won’t handle an emergency correctly. What is the best initial response by the nurse to help ensure the child’s safety?

Choice A reason: Infant sebaceous and sweat glands are not fully functional, developing postnatally. The skin’s role in temperature regulation is accurate, making this incorrect, as it misstates infant integumentary function in the instructor’s presentation to student nurses on the system’s role.

Choice B reason: The integumentary system is present at birth, though maturing over time, not absent until after birth. Temperature regulation is a key function, making this incorrect, as it exaggerates the system’s developmental timeline in the instructor’s presentation on the integumentary system.

Choice C reason: The skin, the body’s largest organ, regulates temperature through sweating and vasodilation, a primary integumentary function. This aligns with physiological principles, making it the most accurate statement for the instructor to present to student nurses about the integumentary system’s role.

Choice D reason: Oxygen distribution is a respiratory and circulatory function, not integumentary. The skin’s temperature regulation is correct, making this incorrect, as it misattributes a role to the integumentary system in the instructor’s presentation to student nurses on its physiological functions.

Choice A reason: The “shortcut” scale is not a standard method for the West nomogram, which calculates body surface area (BSA) for precise dosing. Using BSA ensures accuracy for a 76-lb, 50-inch child, making this simplified approach incorrect for calculating a safe pediatric medication dosage in clinical practice.

Choice B reason: Aligning height and weight to a percentage of adult dosage is not how the West nomogram works; it calculates BSA. The correct method uses BSA relative to adult BSA, making this incorrect, as it skips the critical step of surface area calculation for accurate pediatric dosing.

Choice C reason: Multiplying height and weight and dividing the adult dosage is not a nomogram method. The West nomogram uses BSA to adjust doses, comparing child and adult surface areas, making this mathematically incorrect and inappropriate for calculating a safe pediatric medication dose for the child.

Choice D reason: The West nomogram calculates a child’s BSA using height (50 inches) and weight (76 lb), then divides by the average adult BSA (1.7 m²) to find the proportion of the adult dose (300 mg). This method ensures accurate pediatric dosing, making it the correct choice for safe administration.