{"id":142295,"date":"2024-09-21T18:36:43","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T18:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnexams.com\/blog\/?p=142295"},"modified":"2024-09-21T18:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T18:36:46","slug":"an-infant-with-a-diagnosis-of-hydrocephalus-is-scheduled-for-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/21\/an-infant-with-a-diagnosis-of-hydrocephalus-is-scheduled-for-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"An infant with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus is scheduled for surgery."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An infant with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus is scheduled for surgery. Which is the priority nursing intervention in the preoperative period?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A.
Test the urine for protein<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B.
Reposition the infant frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C.
Assess blood pressure every 15 minutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.
Provide a stimulating environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Correct answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The correct answer is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B. Reposition the infant frequently.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hydrocephalus is a condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the ventricles of the brain, leading to increased intracranial pressure (ICP). This condition is particularly concerning in infants because their cranial sutures have not yet fused, allowing the skull to expand in response to the increased fluid, leading to an enlarged head. Left untreated, hydrocephalus can cause brain damage due to the increased pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the preoperative period, frequent repositioning<\/strong> of the infant is a priority nursing intervention. This serves several purposes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Prevents pressure sores:<\/strong> Infants with hydrocephalus may have limited mobility and large, heavy heads due to the accumulation of CSF. Frequent repositioning helps prevent pressure sores, particularly on the back of the head.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Prevents further increases in ICP:<\/strong> Maintaining the infant in a position that minimizes the pressure on the brain is critical. Typically, elevating the head slightly can help with the drainage of CSF and reduce the risk of increasing ICP. Frequent repositioning ensures that the infant’s head is not left in a single position for prolonged periods, which could exacerbate the condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Promotes comfort and skin integrity:<\/strong> Infants with hydrocephalus may experience discomfort from the enlarged head. Repositioning helps alleviate this discomfort, especially in areas prone to pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Other interventions mentioned in the question are less appropriate in this specific preoperative scenario:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Testing urine for protein (A)<\/strong> is not directly related to the management of hydrocephalus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Assessing blood pressure every 15 minutes (C)<\/strong> is unnecessary unless the infant shows signs of a medical emergency or instability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Providing a stimulating environment (D)<\/strong> is not appropriate because infants with hydrocephalus often need a calm, low-stimulation environment to prevent further increases in ICP.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      By frequently repositioning the infant, nurses can optimize the infant’s comfort and reduce the risk of complications before surgery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      An infant with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus is scheduled for surgery. Which is the priority nursing intervention in the preoperative period? A.Test the urine for protein B.Reposition the infant frequently. C.Assess blood pressure every 15 minutes D.Provide a stimulating environment The Correct answer and Explanation is: The correct answer is: B. Reposition the infant frequently. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142295\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}