Pediatric HESI Questions & Hints
Questions and Correct Answers
When does birth length double? - ✅By 4 years
When does the child sit unsupported? - ✅8 months
When does a child achieve 50% of adult height? - ✅2 years
When does a child throw a ball overhand? - ✅18 months
When does a child speak 2-3 word sentences? - ✅2 Yeears
Age groups concepts of bodily injury - ✅Infants: After 6 months, their cognitive
development allows them to remember pain.
Toddlers: Fear intrusive procedures.
Preschoolers: Fear body mutilation.
School age: Fear loss of control of their body.
Adolescent: Major concern is change in body image.
Following immunization, what teaching should the nurse provide to the parents? -
✅Irritability, fever (<102 degrees F), redness and soreness at injection site for 2-3days
are normal side effects of DPT and IPV administration.Call healthcare provider if
seizures, high fever, or high -pitched crying occur.A warm washcloth on the thigh
injection site and "bicycling" the legs w/each diaper change will decrease
soreness.Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is administered orally every 4-6 hours (10-15
mg/Kg)
Hgb norms - ✅Newborn: 14 to 24 g/dl
Infant: 10 to 15 g/dl
Child: 11 to 16 g/dl
Autosomal recessive - ✅Both parents must be heterozygous, or carriers of the
recessive trait, for the disease to be expressed in their offspring. With each pregnancy,
there is a 1:4 chance of the infant having the disease. However, all children of such
parents CAN get the disease - NOT 25% of them.
A child with leukemia is being discharged after beginning chemotherapy. Which of the
following instructions will the nurse include when teaching the parents of this child?
a)provide a diet low in protein and high carbohydrates
b) avoid fresh vegetables that are not cooked or peeled
c) notify the doctor if the child's temperature exceeds 101 F (39C)
,d) increase the use of humidifiers throughout the house - ✅Answer B
fresh fruits and vegetables harbor microorganisms, which can cause infections in
immune-compromised child. Fruits and vegetables should either be peeled or cooked.
The physician should be notified of a temperature above 100F, a diet low in protein is
not indicated, and humidifiers harbor fungi in the water containers.
A client with hemophilia has a very swollen knee after falling from bicycleriding. Which
of the following is the first nursing action?
a)initiate an IV site to begin administration of cryoprecipitate
b) type and cross-match for possible transfusion
c) monitor the client's vital signs for the first 5 minutes
d) apply ice pack and compression dressings to the knee - ✅Answer D
rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)are the immediate treatments to reduce the
swelling and bleeding into the joint. These are the priority actions for bleeding into the
joint of a client with hemophilia
A client and her husband are positive for the sickle cell trait. The client asks the nurse
about chances of her children having sickle cell disease. Which of the following is
appropriate response by the nurse?
a)one of her children will have sickle cell disease
b) only the male children will be affected
c) each pregnancy carries a 25% chance of the child being affected
d) if she had four children, one of them would have the disease - ✅Answer C
In autosomal recessive traits, both parents are carriers. There is a 25% chance with
each pregnancy that a child will have the disease.
An 8 year old child has been diagnosed to have iron deficiency anemia. Which ofthe
following activities is most appropriate for the child to decrease oxygen demands on the
body?
a)Dancing
b) playing video games
c) reading a book
d) riding a bicycle - ✅Answer C
reading a book is restful activity and can keep the child from becoming bored. Choices
a, b, and d require too much energy for a child with anemia and can increase oxygen
demands on the body.
A 16 month old child diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease (KD) is very irritable,refuses to
eat, and exhibits peeling skin on the hands and feet. Which of the following would the
nurse interpret as the priority?
a)applying lotions to the hands and feet
b) offering foods the toddler likes
c) placing the toddler in a quiet environment
d) encouraging the parents to get some rest - ✅Answer C
, One of the characteristics of children with KD is irritability. They are often
inconsolable.Placing the child in a quiet environment may help quiet the child and
reduce the workload of the heart. The child's irritability takes priority over peeling of the
skin.
A newborn's failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may indicate
which of the following?
a.Hirschsprung disease
b. Celiac disease
c. Intussusception
d. Abdominal wall defect - ✅Answer A
Failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may be an indication of
Hirschsprung disease, a congenital anomaly resulting in mechanical obstruction due to
inadequate motility in an intestinal segment. Failure to pass meconium is not associated
with celiac disease, intussusception, or abdominal wall defect.
Which of the following should the nurse do first after noting that a child with
Hirschsprung disease has a fever and watery explosive diarrhea?
a. Notify the physician immediately
b. Administer antidiarrheal medications
c. Monitor child ever 30 minutes
d. Nothing, this is characteristic of Hirschsprung disease - ✅Answer A
For the child with Hirschsprung disease, fever and explosive diarrhea indicate
enterocolitis, a life-threatening situation. Therefore, the physician should be notified
immediately. Generally, because of the intestinal obstruction and inadequate propulsive
intestinal movement, antidiarrheals are not used to treat Hirschsprung disease. The
child is acutely ill and requires intervention, with monitoring more frequently than every
30 minutes.Hirschsprung disease typically presents with chronic constipation.
When assessing a child for possible intussusception, which of the following would be
least likely to provide valuable information?
a.Stool inspection
b. Pain pattern
c. Family history
d. Abdominal palpation - ✅Answer C
Because intussusception is not believed to have a familial tendency, obtaining a family
history would provide the least amount of information. Stool inspection, pain pattern,
and abdominal palpation would reveal possible indicators of intussusception. Current,
jelly-like stools containing blood and mucus are an indication of intussusception.
Acute,episodic abdominal pain is characteristics of intussusception. A sausage-shaped
mass may be palpated in the right upper quadrant.
After teaching the parents of a preschooler who has undergone T and A(Tonsillectomy
and Adenoidectomy) about appropriate foods to give the child afterdischarge, which of
Questions and Correct Answers
When does birth length double? - ✅By 4 years
When does the child sit unsupported? - ✅8 months
When does a child achieve 50% of adult height? - ✅2 years
When does a child throw a ball overhand? - ✅18 months
When does a child speak 2-3 word sentences? - ✅2 Yeears
Age groups concepts of bodily injury - ✅Infants: After 6 months, their cognitive
development allows them to remember pain.
Toddlers: Fear intrusive procedures.
Preschoolers: Fear body mutilation.
School age: Fear loss of control of their body.
Adolescent: Major concern is change in body image.
Following immunization, what teaching should the nurse provide to the parents? -
✅Irritability, fever (<102 degrees F), redness and soreness at injection site for 2-3days
are normal side effects of DPT and IPV administration.Call healthcare provider if
seizures, high fever, or high -pitched crying occur.A warm washcloth on the thigh
injection site and "bicycling" the legs w/each diaper change will decrease
soreness.Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is administered orally every 4-6 hours (10-15
mg/Kg)
Hgb norms - ✅Newborn: 14 to 24 g/dl
Infant: 10 to 15 g/dl
Child: 11 to 16 g/dl
Autosomal recessive - ✅Both parents must be heterozygous, or carriers of the
recessive trait, for the disease to be expressed in their offspring. With each pregnancy,
there is a 1:4 chance of the infant having the disease. However, all children of such
parents CAN get the disease - NOT 25% of them.
A child with leukemia is being discharged after beginning chemotherapy. Which of the
following instructions will the nurse include when teaching the parents of this child?
a)provide a diet low in protein and high carbohydrates
b) avoid fresh vegetables that are not cooked or peeled
c) notify the doctor if the child's temperature exceeds 101 F (39C)
,d) increase the use of humidifiers throughout the house - ✅Answer B
fresh fruits and vegetables harbor microorganisms, which can cause infections in
immune-compromised child. Fruits and vegetables should either be peeled or cooked.
The physician should be notified of a temperature above 100F, a diet low in protein is
not indicated, and humidifiers harbor fungi in the water containers.
A client with hemophilia has a very swollen knee after falling from bicycleriding. Which
of the following is the first nursing action?
a)initiate an IV site to begin administration of cryoprecipitate
b) type and cross-match for possible transfusion
c) monitor the client's vital signs for the first 5 minutes
d) apply ice pack and compression dressings to the knee - ✅Answer D
rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)are the immediate treatments to reduce the
swelling and bleeding into the joint. These are the priority actions for bleeding into the
joint of a client with hemophilia
A client and her husband are positive for the sickle cell trait. The client asks the nurse
about chances of her children having sickle cell disease. Which of the following is
appropriate response by the nurse?
a)one of her children will have sickle cell disease
b) only the male children will be affected
c) each pregnancy carries a 25% chance of the child being affected
d) if she had four children, one of them would have the disease - ✅Answer C
In autosomal recessive traits, both parents are carriers. There is a 25% chance with
each pregnancy that a child will have the disease.
An 8 year old child has been diagnosed to have iron deficiency anemia. Which ofthe
following activities is most appropriate for the child to decrease oxygen demands on the
body?
a)Dancing
b) playing video games
c) reading a book
d) riding a bicycle - ✅Answer C
reading a book is restful activity and can keep the child from becoming bored. Choices
a, b, and d require too much energy for a child with anemia and can increase oxygen
demands on the body.
A 16 month old child diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease (KD) is very irritable,refuses to
eat, and exhibits peeling skin on the hands and feet. Which of the following would the
nurse interpret as the priority?
a)applying lotions to the hands and feet
b) offering foods the toddler likes
c) placing the toddler in a quiet environment
d) encouraging the parents to get some rest - ✅Answer C
, One of the characteristics of children with KD is irritability. They are often
inconsolable.Placing the child in a quiet environment may help quiet the child and
reduce the workload of the heart. The child's irritability takes priority over peeling of the
skin.
A newborn's failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may indicate
which of the following?
a.Hirschsprung disease
b. Celiac disease
c. Intussusception
d. Abdominal wall defect - ✅Answer A
Failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may be an indication of
Hirschsprung disease, a congenital anomaly resulting in mechanical obstruction due to
inadequate motility in an intestinal segment. Failure to pass meconium is not associated
with celiac disease, intussusception, or abdominal wall defect.
Which of the following should the nurse do first after noting that a child with
Hirschsprung disease has a fever and watery explosive diarrhea?
a. Notify the physician immediately
b. Administer antidiarrheal medications
c. Monitor child ever 30 minutes
d. Nothing, this is characteristic of Hirschsprung disease - ✅Answer A
For the child with Hirschsprung disease, fever and explosive diarrhea indicate
enterocolitis, a life-threatening situation. Therefore, the physician should be notified
immediately. Generally, because of the intestinal obstruction and inadequate propulsive
intestinal movement, antidiarrheals are not used to treat Hirschsprung disease. The
child is acutely ill and requires intervention, with monitoring more frequently than every
30 minutes.Hirschsprung disease typically presents with chronic constipation.
When assessing a child for possible intussusception, which of the following would be
least likely to provide valuable information?
a.Stool inspection
b. Pain pattern
c. Family history
d. Abdominal palpation - ✅Answer C
Because intussusception is not believed to have a familial tendency, obtaining a family
history would provide the least amount of information. Stool inspection, pain pattern,
and abdominal palpation would reveal possible indicators of intussusception. Current,
jelly-like stools containing blood and mucus are an indication of intussusception.
Acute,episodic abdominal pain is characteristics of intussusception. A sausage-shaped
mass may be palpated in the right upper quadrant.
After teaching the parents of a preschooler who has undergone T and A(Tonsillectomy
and Adenoidectomy) about appropriate foods to give the child afterdischarge, which of
