ATI RN
Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist Exam Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A 3-year-old female child with repeated admissions as bleeding tendency in a form of spontaneous ecchymosis and bleeding through the nose and urine. She had another daughter who died because of similar undiagnosed illness. The mother is a staff nurse and she is highly concerned about her child illness. Lab investigations usually show either PT and/or PTT prolongation with normal platelets, which usually normalized after empiric vitamin K administration. The father is a petrol engineer and never seen accompanying the family. Of the following, the MOST helpful investigation is
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Factor VII deficiency is consistent with the described coagulation profile (PT prolongation, normal platelets, improvement with vitamin K). Factor II assay and von Willebrand factor assay are less relevant here.
Question 2 of 5
On the second day of life, the patient in Questions and experiences bradycardia and hypotension with cyanosis and a metabolic acidosis Likely diagnoses include (may choose more than one)
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Preterm infants have limited glycogen stores and are at risk of hypoglycemia, which can lead to bradycardia, hypotension, and metabolic acidosis.
Question 3 of 5
The MOST important proposed field treatment for snake bites is
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Immobilization prevents venom spread and is the best immediate treatment.
Question 4 of 5
A previously healthy 7-month-old white male presents one summer day with a temperature of 41.1°C, a pulse of 190, a respiratory rate of 70, and a blood pressure of 65/20. He has a 1-day history of diarrhea (five stools in 24 hours) and is now unresponsive to verbal commands or painful stimuli. The most appropriate initial therapy is
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Normal saline is the initial therapy for hypovolemic shock due to diarrhea, aiming to restore circulating volume and improve perfusion.
Question 5 of 5
A 5-year-old boy with a history of bronchial asthma was rushed to the emergency department with increasing shortness of breath, pyrexia, and a productive cough. He has difficulty communicating due to an inability to complete a sentence. Examination reveals crackles and wheezes in the lower lobes, tachycardia, and a bounding pulse. Arterial blood gas: pH 7.3, PaCO2 68 mmHg, HCO3 28 mmol/L, PaO2 60mmHg. How would you interpret this?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The patient has a low pH (acidosis), elevated PaCO2 (respiratory cause), and an increased HCO3, indicating partial compensation. This suggests respiratory acidosis due to CO2 retention from severe asthma exacerbation.