Author Question: A parent asks the school nurse why she should not give her children aspirin for a fever. When the ... (Read 34 times)

jc611 · **on:** Jun 27, 2018

A parent asks the school nurse why she should not give her children aspirin for a fever.

When the nurse replies that it has to do with the possible risk of a child getting Reye's syndrome while taking aspirin, the parents asks: What is Reye's syndrome? Which of the following responses by the nurse would most accurately describe Reye's syndrome? a. fatal or near-fatal condition involving the circulatory system and the nervous system
b. an unusual allergy-like reaction to aspirin while in a mild immunosuppressed condition following an illness
c. a neurological reaction to aspirin that can cause paralysis to the alveoli and bring respiratory distress
d. a life-threatening condition following a mild viral illness, in which there is liver enlargement and cerebral edema

Question 2

If a child has a headache described as migraine-like and also has a seizure, the nurse should have a high suspicion of:

a. ruptured cerebral aneurysm c. astrocytoma
b. arteriovenous malformation d. hydrocephalus

TheNamesImani · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 27, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D

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A Incorrect. Reye's syndrome is not a fatal or near-fatal condition involving the circulatory system and the nervous system.
B Incorrect. Reye's syndrome is not an unusual allergy-like reaction to aspirin while in a mild immunosuppressed condition following an illness.
C Incorrect. Reye's syndrome is not a neurological reaction to aspirin that can cause paralysis to the alveoli and bring respiratory distress.
D Correct. Reye's syndrome is a life-threatening encephalopathy following a mild viral illness, in which there is liver enlargement and cerebral edema. The liver becomes enlarged and assumes a yellow hue caused by fatty deposits in its microvasculature. At the same time cerebral edema with accompanying increased intracranial pressure becomes evident.

Answer to Question 2

B

Feedback
A Incorrect. Signs of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm would result in symptoms similar to a stroke.
B Correct. If a child has a headache described as migraine-like and also has a seizure, the nurse should have a high suspicion of arteriovenous malformation. In children, a seizure is often the first sign of a neurological problem.
C Incorrect. An astrocytoma is a type of brain tumor with manifestations of seizures, increased ICP, visual changes, and hemiparesis.
D Incorrect. The nurse would not have a high suspicion of hydrocephalus.