Practice Question
A nurse is taking care of a child with a possible diagnosis of meningitis. The nurse knows to look for which laboratory results to verify the diagnosis?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Cloudy cerebrospinal fluid with a high protein and low glucose levels.
Rationale:
🔵 Cloudy cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicates the presence of infection and is a hallmark of bacterial meningitis.
🔵 High protein in CSF is caused by inflammation and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier due to bacterial invasion.
🔵 Low glucose results from bacterial metabolism, as bacteria consume the available glucose in the CSF.
🔵 This CSF profile (cloudy, high protein, low glucose) is distinctive for bacterial (not viral) meningitis, enabling quick diagnosis and targeted therapy.
🔵 Prompt recognition of this result allows for urgent intervention and improved patient outcomes.
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This question is from ATI LPN Pediatric Nursing Exam V which contains 37 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: LPN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: LPN ATI Exams
- Domain: Pediatrics
- Answer Choices: 4