Chapter 38: Medication Administration and Safety for Infants and Children
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What should the nurse use to prepare liquid medication in volumes less than 5 mL?
a. Calibrated syringe
b. Paper measuring cup
c. Plastic measuring cup
d. Household teaspoon
ANS: A
Feedback
A To ensure accuracy, a calibrated syringe without a needle should be used to
prepare a liquid dosage less than 5 mL.
B Paper measuring cups are not calibrated for liquid volumes less than 5 mL.
C A liquid volume less than 5 mL cannot be measured accurately in a plastic
measuring cup.
D A household teaspoon is not accurate enough to measure small amounts of
medication.
2. Which food is appropriate to mix with medication?
a. Formula or milk
b. Applesauce
c. Syrup
d. Orange juice
ANS: B
Feedback
A Formula and milk are essential foods in a child’s diet. Medications may alter
their flavor and cause the child to avoid them in the future.
B To prevent the child from developing a negative association with an essential
food, a nonessential food such as applesauce is best for mixing with medications.
C Syrup is not used to mix with medications because of its high sugar content.
D Orange juice is considered an essential food; therefore the nurse should not mix
medications with it.
3. Which physiologic difference affects the absorption of oral medications administered to a 3-
month-old infant?
, a. More rapid peristaltic activity
b. More acidic gastric secretions
c. Usually more rapid gastric emptying
d. Variable pancreatic enzyme activity
ANS: D
Feedback
A Infants up to 8 months of age tend to have prolonged motility. The longer the
intestinal transit time, the more medication is absorbed.
B The gastric secretions of infants are less acidic than in older children or adults.
C Gastric emptying is usually slower in infants.
D Pancreatic enzyme activity is variable in infants for the first 3 months of life as
the gastrointestinal system matures. Medications that require specific enzymes
for dissolution and absorption might not be digested to a form suitable for
intestinal action.
4. Which factor should the nurse remember when administering topical medication to an infant
as compared with an adolescent?
a. Infants require a larger dosage because of a greater body surface area.
b. Infants have a thinner stratum corneum that absorbs more medication.
c. Infants have a smaller percentage of muscle mass.
d. The skin of infants is less sensitive to allergic reactions.
ANS: B
Feedback
A A similar dose of a topical medication administered to an infant compared with
an adult is approximately three times greater in the infant because of the greater
body surface area.
B Infants and young children have a thinner outer skin layer (stratum corneum),
which increases the absorption of topical medication.
C The smaller muscle mass in infants affects site selection for injected
medications, but should not affect administration of topical medications.
D The young child’s skin is more prone to irritation, making contact dermatitis and
other allergic reactions more common.
5. What is the appropriate nursing response to a parent who asks, “What should I do if my child
cannot take a tablet?”
a. “You can crush the tablet and put it in some food.”
b. “Find out if the medication is available in a liquid form.”
c. “If the child can’t swallow the tablet, tell the child to chew it.”
d. “Let me show you how to get your child to swallow tablets.”
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