Neuromuscular Disorders Flashcards
What are the physical features of a child with Down syndrome?
Simian creases in palms, hypotonia, protruding tongue, and upward-outward slant of eyes
Describe scissoring.
A common characteristic of spastic cerebral palsy in infants; legs are extended and crossed over each other, feet are plantar flexed
What are two nursing priorities for a newborn with myelomeningocele?
Prevention of infection of the sac and monitoring for hydrocephalus (measure head circumference, check fontanel, assess neurologic functioning
List the signs and symptoms of increased ICP in older children.
Irritability, change in LOC, motor dysfunction, headache, vomiting, unequal pupil response, and seizures
What teaching should parents of a newly shunted child receive?
Information about signs of infection and increased ICP; understanding that shunt should not be pumped and that child will need revisions with growth; guidance concerning growth and development
State the three main goals in providing nursing care for a child experiencing a seizure.
Maintain patent airway, protect from injury, and observe carefully.
What are the side effects of Dilantin?
Gingival hyperplasia, dermatitis, ataxia, GI distress
Describe the signs and symptoms of a child with meningitis.
Fever, irritability, vomiting, neck stiffness, opisthotonos, positive Kernig sign, positive Brudzinski sign; infant may not show classic signs even though very ill
What antibiotics are usually prescribed for bacterial meningitis?
Ampicillin, ceftriaxone, or chloramphenicol
How is a child usually positioned after brain tumor surgery?
Flat or on either side
Describe the function of an osmotic diuretic.
Osmotic diuretics remove water from the CNS to reduce cerebral edema
What nursing interventions increase intracranial pressure?
Suctioning and positioning, turning
Describe the mechanism of inheritance of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is inherited as an X-linked recessive trait
What is the Gowers sign?
Gowers sign is an indicator of muscular dystrophy; to stand, the child has to “walk: hands up legs
