The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl about appropriate food choices.


Which of the following best explains how to answer Questions based on cognitive development?

Choice A rationale

These therapies will decrease our child’s resistance to respiratory infections. This statement is incorrect. The therapies mentioned - chest physiotherapy (CPT), use of a flutter valve, and a cough assist machine - do not directly decrease a child’s resistance to respiratory infections.

Instead, they help manage the symptoms of cystic fibrosis by helping to clear mucus from the lungs, which can improve lung function and reduce the risk of lung infections.

Choice B rationale

These therapies will only be done when our child is showing signs of illness. This statement is incorrect. These therapies are part of the daily management of cystic fibrosis and are typically done regularly, not just when the child is showing signs of illness.

Choice C rationale

These therapies will help to loosen our child’s secretions and allow for better expectoration. This statement is correct. The goal of these therapies is to help clear thick, sticky mucus from the lungs, which can improve breathing and reduce the risk of lung infections.

Choice D rationale

These therapies will allow for the removal of mucus from our child’s GI tract that blocks digestion. This statement is incorrect. While cystic fibrosis can affect the digestive system by causing thick mucus to block the tubes that carry digestive enzymes from your pancreas to your small intestine, the therapies mentioned are primarily used to help clear mucus from the lungs.

Choice A rationale

Dehydration in infants can be a serious medical concern if not addressed quickly. It can be caused by various factors such as vomiting or diarrhea, or if the baby is not nursing well. The most common signs of dehydration in babies include concentrated urine that looks very dark yellow or orange, constipation, dry lips, dry mouth, dry mucous membranes, excessive sleepiness, irritability, less than six wet diapers in a 24-hour period, no interest in taking a bottle or breastfeeding, no tears when crying, paleness, sunken fontanelle (soft spot) on their head, and wrinkled skin. If the nurse observes these signs and symptoms in the infant, along with the intake and output record from the previous 8 hours, the nurse might determine that the patient is dehydrated during the shift.

Choice B rationale

If the infant shows signs of improvement such as increased urine output, normal skin turgor, moist mucous membranes, and the infant is alert and active, then the nurse might determine that the patient is improving as anticipated. However, without specific details about the infant’s condition, it’s difficult to definitively say that this is the case.

Choice C rationale

Fluid volume excess, also known as fluid overload, occurs when the body has too much water and electrolytes. Symptoms can include swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, or abdomen, weight gain, high blood pressure, and shortness of breath. If the nurse observes these symptoms in the infant, along with the intake and output record from the previous 8 hours, the nurse might

determine that the patient has fluid volume excess. However, given the information provided, this does not seem to be the most likely scenario.

Choice D rationale

If the infant’s vital signs are stable, the infant is alert and active, and there are no significant changes in the infant’s condition, the nurse might determine that the patient’s condition is stable. However, without specific details about the infant’s condition, it’s difficult to definitively say that this is the case.