A preschool child is scheduled for an echocardiogram. Parents ask ...

[Arii_bell]

A preschool child is scheduled for an echocardiogram. Parents ask the nurse whether they can hold the child during the procedure. The nurse should answer with which response?
 
  a. You will be able to hold your child during the procedure.
  b. Your child can be active during the procedure, but can't sit in your lap.
  c. Your child must lie quietly; sometimes a mild sedative is administered before the procedure.
  d. The procedure is invasive so your child will be restrained during the echocardiogram.

Question 2

The nurse is talking to a parent of an infant with heart failure about feeding the infant. Which statement about feeding the child is correct?
 
  a. You may need to increase the caloric density of your infant's formula.
  b. You should feed your baby every 2 hours.
  c. You may need to increase the amount of formula your infant eats with each feeding.
  d. You should place a nasal oxygen cannula on your infant during and after each feeding.

[Sarahjh]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Although an echocardiogram is noninvasive, painless, and associated with no known side effects, it can be stressful for children. The child must lie quietly in the standard echocardiographic positions; crying, nursing, being held, or sitting up often leads to diagnostic errors or omissions. Therefore, infants and young children may need a mild sedative; older children benefit from psychologic preparation for the test. The distraction of a video or movie is often helpful.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
The metabolic rate of infants with heart failure is greater because of poor cardiac function and increased heart and respiratory rates. Their caloric needs are greater than those of the average infants, yet their ability to take in the calories is diminished by their fatigue. Infants with heart failure should be fed every 3 hours; a 2-hour schedule does not allow for enough rest, and a 4-hour schedule is too long. Fluids must be carefully monitored because of the heart failure. Infants do not require supplemental oxygen with feedings.