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Rationale for Correct Choices

• Pelvic inflammatory disease: The client’s fever, pelvic pain, mucopurulent cervical discharge, elevated WBC and CRP, and positive chlamydia test point to pelvic inflammatory disease, a complication of untreated sexually transmitted infection.

• Instruct the adolescent about the use of sitz baths: Sitz baths provide localized warmth and comfort, reducing pelvic and abdominal pain while promoting circulation and relaxation in the pelvic region.

• Administer acetaminophen 650 mg PO every 6 hr PRN pain: Acetaminophen helps relieve pelvic cramping, fever, and discomfort, improving the client’s ability to tolerate care and promoting rest.

• Vaginal bleeding: PID can damage reproductive tissue, increasing risk of abnormal vaginal bleeding, so monitoring helps detect complications such as worsening infection or endometrial involvement.

• Temperature greater than 38.3° C (100.9° F): Persistent fever indicates ongoing infection or ineffective antibiotic therapy, making temperature an essential marker for evaluating treatment response.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices

• Acute appendicitis: This condition presents with right lower quadrant pain, rebound tenderness, and elevated inflammatory markers, but mucopurulent cervical discharge and positive chlamydia culture make PID more likely.

• Urinary tract infection: A UTI typically causes dysuria, frequency, and pyuria in urinalysis, but this client’s urine shows no WBCs or nitrites, making this diagnosis unlikely.

• Ectopic pregnancy: The negative hCG rules out pregnancy-related causes such as ectopic pregnancy, despite the abdominal pain.

• Maintain an NPO status: This is appropriate for appendicitis or surgical conditions, not PID, which is treated with antibiotics and comfort measures.

• Administer an enema: This is unrelated to PID management and could worsen discomfort without addressing the infection.

• Place the adolescent on bedrest in semi-Fowler’s position: This is more appropriate for appendicitis or abdominal surgery; PID management focuses on antibiotics, comfort, and symptom control instead.

• Rebound tenderness: While possible in appendicitis, this is not a priority assessment in PID, where infection signs and pelvic pain predominate.

• Presence of a Cullen sign: Cullen’s sign indicates intra-abdominal bleeding, often from ruptured ectopic pregnancy or pancreatitis, not PID.

• Irritation of the phrenic nerve: Phrenic nerve irritation, often causing shoulder tip pain, is associated with a ruptured spleen or ectopic pregnancy, and is not typical of PID.

• Crohn's disease: The client’s presentation of hematochezia, abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, elevated CRP, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and positive stool leukocytes points toward Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease with systemic and intestinal involvement.

• Encourage a high-protein diet: Chronic inflammation and malabsorption in Crohn’s disease contribute to weight loss and muscle wasting, so a high-protein diet supports tissue repair and nutritional repletion.

• Record dietary intake: Careful documentation helps identify food triggers, ensures adequate caloric and protein intake, and provides a baseline for evaluating nutritional support interventions.

• Hemoglobin level: Clients with Crohn’s are prone to gastrointestinal blood loss, putting them at risk for anemia; trending hemoglobin values helps track disease activity and bleeding severity.

• Albumin level: Hypoalbuminemia in Crohn’s reflects both malnutrition and protein-losing enteropathy; monitoring this value provides insight into nutritional status and disease progression.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices

• Appendicitis: Appendicitis usually presents with localized right lower quadrant pain, rebound tenderness, and leukocytosis without chronic systemic signs like anemia or hypoalbuminemia, which are more consistent with Crohn’s disease.

• Peptic ulcer disease: Ulcers typically cause epigastric pain and possible melena, but they do not explain systemic inflammation, positive stool leukocytes, or low albumin seen in this case.

• Celiac disease: Celiac often presents with diarrhea, bloating, and steatorrhea, but this client’s hematochezia, fever, and elevated CRP are more consistent with inflammatory bowel disease.

• Administer an enema: This intervention is contraindicated in clients with bowel inflammation due to risk of worsening irritation or triggering perforation.

• Provide a gluten-free diet: While effective in celiac disease, it does not address the inflammation and malabsorption specific to Crohn’s disease.

• Prepare for surgery: Surgery is not the first-line intervention in Crohn’s unless complications like obstruction or perforation occur; conservative management is prioritized initially.

• Abrupt decrease in pain level: This is concerning for ruptured appendix and peritonitis, which are not primary features of Crohn’s disease progression.

• Abdominal rigidity: This is a sign of peritonitis, usually from perforation, which is not the presenting concern for this client with Crohn’s disease.

• Presence of steatorrhea: Steatorrhea is more typical of celiac disease or pancreatic insufficiency rather than Crohn’s, which more commonly presents with bloody stools.

Rationale for correct choices:

• IV hydromorphone: The child is in a vaso-occlusive crisis, where severe pain is the hallmark finding. IV opioids such as hydromorphone are the treatment of choice for rapid pain relief when pain reaches severe levels unrelieved by oral medications.

• Pain: The child reports escalating pain from 7/10 to 10/10 localized in the right knee with swelling and warmth, consistent with vaso-occlusion. Pain control is the immediate priority because inadequate management can worsen stress and sickling.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Fresh frozen plasma transfusion: This is not indicated in sickle cell crisis, as there is no coagulopathy or clotting factor deficiency. Plasma transfusion does not treat anemia or vaso-occlusive pain.

• Factor VIII: This therapy is specific to hemophilia A, which involves a clotting factor deficiency. It has no role in the management of sickle cell disease or vaso-occlusive crisis.

• Platelets: The child’s platelet count is elevated at 450,000/mm³, which reflects a reactive process but not a deficiency. Thrombocytopenia is not present, so platelet replacement is unnecessary.

Rationale:

• Respiratory rate 26/min: A respiratory rate in the mid-20s is within the normal range for toddlers (20–30/min). The child shows no increased work of breathing, so this does not require immediate intervention.

• Heart rate 112/min: This heart rate falls within the normal toddler range of 90–140 beats per minute. It does not indicate tachycardia or circulatory collapse at this time. Therefore, it is not a priority concern.

• Capillary refill 4 seconds: A refill time greater than 2 seconds indicates impaired circulation and reduced tissue perfusion. This is often seen in dehydration or hypovolemic shock, requiring immediate intervention. Prolonged refill signals worsening cardiovascular compromise.

• Hyperactive bowel sounds: Increased bowel sounds are expected in the setting of diarrhea and rapid peristalsis. While uncomfortable, this finding is not life-threatening and does not require urgent follow-up.

• Diaper area reddened: Redness in the diaper area is most likely due to frequent stools causing skin irritation. While it requires nursing care, it is a localized issue and not an urgent systemic concern.

• Extremities cool: Cool extremities suggest peripheral vasoconstriction as the body tries to preserve blood flow to vital organs. This points to inadequate perfusion from fluid loss. If not addressed quickly, it may progress to shock.

• Reports no tears: Crying without tears is a clear sign of moderate to severe dehydration in children. It indicates the body no longer has adequate fluid reserves to maintain normal secretions. This finding requires prompt replacement of fluids.

• Lethargic: Lethargy signals a change in neurological status, which is a late sign of significant dehydration. It reflects decreased cerebral perfusion from hypovolemia. This is a critical finding that warrants urgent follow-up.

Rationale for Correct Choices

• Give iron with vitamin C to increase absorption: Vitamin C enhances the solubility and bioavailability of iron, which is especially important for a child on a vegetarian diet where non-heme iron predominates. Taking iron with citrus juice or ascorbic acid reduces the risk of poor absorption and supports correction of anemia.

• Give iron through a straw to prevent staining of teeth: Liquid iron supplements can cause temporary discoloration of tooth enamel. Using a straw minimizes direct contact of iron with the teeth, helping to preserve dental appearance while ensuring the child still receives the full dose.

• Increase intake of iron-rich foods such as beans, leafy greens, and fortified cereals: A vegetarian child should be encouraged to consume a variety of non-heme iron foods. Combining these with vitamin C sources improves absorption and supports bone marrow production of healthy red blood cells.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices

• Give iron with milk to reduce stomach upset: Milk contains calcium and casein, both of which inhibit iron absorption, reducing the effectiveness of therapy.

• Administer iron on an empty stomach with no fluids: Iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach, but giving it without fluids increases gastric irritation and may cause poor adherence in children.

• Encourage brushing with baking soda after iron administration: Baking soda is abrasive and not recommended for children, as it may damage developing enamel while not significantly reducing iron staining.

• Mix iron with milk to reduce metallic taste: Mixing with milk impairs absorption, worsening anemia, and undermines the therapeutic purpose of supplementation.

• Restrict protein sources to avoid overworking bone marrow: Protein is essential for hemoglobin synthesis and red blood cell production; restricting it would worsen the child’s anemic state.

• Reduce iron-containing foods until medication is completed: Limiting dietary iron would prevent recovery from anemia and contradicts the goal of maximizing iron intake during supplementation.

Rationale:

• Weight-bearing ability on the affected leg: The adolescent was able to ambulate in the hall twice with good tolerance, which suggests improved mobility despite persistent tenderness. This indicates that pain and function are gradually improving.

• Temperature: The fever decreased from 38.8°C on Day 1 to 37.6°C on Day 2, showing resolution of the systemic response to infection. This suggests the antibiotic therapy is beginning to take effect.

• WBC count: The count rose from 14,000/mm³ to 15,000/mm³ in 24 hours, which reflects a persistent or worsening inflammatory and infectious process. This indicates the infection may not yet be under control.

• Wound assessment: The indurated area on the calf decreased in size from 6 x 6 cm on Day 1 to 5 x 5 cm on Day 2. A decrease in the size of the inflamed area indicates that the cellulitis is responding to treatment and resolving.