All Free Paediatric Nursing MCQs with Answers
Every Paediatric Nursing question in the bank, across all chapters, each with the correct answer and a written explanation. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
350 questions · page 7 of 18
- A. Pneumonia requiring urgent referral
- B. Pneumonia requiring oral antibiotic treatment
- C. Cough or cold without pneumonia
- D. Severe respiratory infection with danger signs
Explanation: A child with cough but no fast breathing, chest indrawing or general danger sign is classified as cough or cold without pneumonia.
Correct answer: Cough or cold without pneumonia- A. Offer warm fluids and reassess later
- B. Place the child upright and give prescribed oxygen
- C. Encourage ambulation to loosen secretions
- D. Administer an antidiarrhoeal medicine first
Explanation: Low oxygen saturation with increased work of breathing indicates impaired breathing, so airway and breathing take priority.
Correct answer: Place the child upright and give prescribed oxygen123. Which stool description is most suggestive of cholera in a child with acute diarrhoeal disease?
- A. Small hard stools with abdominal straining
- B. Frequent watery stools resembling rice water
- C. Bloody stools with painful rectal spasms
- D. Greasy stools with chronic poor growth
Explanation: Cholera classically causes sudden, profuse, painless watery diarrhoea that may resemble rice water and can rapidly cause dehydration.
Correct answer: Frequent watery stools resembling rice water- A. Withhold fluids until vomiting has stopped
- B. Begin oral rehydration according to the child assessment plan
- C. Give only plain water for the next four hours
- D. Start an antibiotic before assessing hydration further
Explanation: Restlessness, thirst, sunken eyes and a slowly returning skin pinch are consistent with some dehydration.
Correct answer: Begin oral rehydration according to the child assessment plan- A. Bacterial pneumonia
- B. Acute appendicitis
- C. Otitis externa
- D. Simple constipation
Explanation: Measles can weaken immune defenses and is commonly complicated by pneumonia.
Correct answer: Bacterial pneumonia- A. Share eating utensils only after rinsing them
- B. Improve ventilation and avoid close contact with secretions
- C. Give antibiotics to every household member
- D. Keep the affected child in a dark room alone
Explanation: Mumps spreads mainly through respiratory droplets and saliva, so ventilation, hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with oral and…
Correct answer: Improve ventilation and avoid close contact with secretions- A. Keep the fingernails short and use prescribed soothing treatment
- B. Break each vesicle to speed crust formation
- C. Apply antibiotic powder to every lesion routinely
- D. Encourage scratching to remove the crusts
Explanation: Short nails and prescribed soothing measures reduce skin trauma, secondary bacterial infection and discomfort.
Correct answer: Keep the fingernails short and use prescribed soothing treatment- A. Offer small frequent feeds and observe for breathing difficulty
- B. Force a large feed after every coughing episode
- C. Give cough suppressant medicine without medical advice
- D. Place the child flat immediately after feeding
Explanation: Small frequent feeds can reduce exhaustion and vomiting during pertussis, while close observation may detect cyanosis or apnoea.
Correct answer: Offer small frequent feeds and observe for breathing difficulty- A. Assess the child and confirm the prescribed medicine and dose
- B. Give two doses together to remove all worms quickly
- C. Withhold food and fluids for 24 hours
- D. Administer an antimalarial medicine instead
Explanation: The nurse should assess the child and verify the correct prescribed antihelminthic, dose and contraindications before administration.
Correct answer: Assess the child and confirm the prescribed medicine and dose- A. Mild abdominal discomfort
- B. Circulatory shock from severe fluid loss
- C. Temporary loss of appetite
- D. Uncomplicated intestinal worm infestation
Explanation: Drowsiness, cold extremities, weak pulse and delayed capillary refill indicate poor circulation and possible hypovolaemic shock from…
Correct answer: Circulatory shock from severe fluid loss- A. No signs of dehydration
- B. Some dehydration
- C. Severe dehydration
- D. Dehydration with shock
Explanation: The child has no clinical signs used to classify dehydration. Some dehydration requires findings such as restlessness, thirst, sunken eyes…
Correct answer: No signs of dehydration- A. Bordetella pertussis
- B. Streptococcus pneumoniae
- C. Measles morbillivirus
- D. Varicella-zoster virus
Explanation: Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which spreads through respiratory droplets.
Correct answer: Bordetella pertussis133. A mother asks how to care for her 6-year-old child with chickenpox. Which instruction is safest?
- A. Give aspirin for fever and body aches
- B. Keep the fingernails short and clean
- C. Break the vesicles to dry the rash
- D. Send the child to school after the first day
Explanation: Short, clean nails reduce skin damage and secondary bacterial infection from scratching.
Correct answer: Keep the fingernails short and clean- A. Store drinking water in an uncovered container
- B. Wash hands with soap after using the toilet
- C. Give antibiotics to every family member
- D. Restrict all fruits from the child's diet
Explanation: Handwashing with soap after defecation and before preparing or eating food interrupts faecal-oral transmission.
Correct answer: Wash hands with soap after using the toilet- A. Maintain adequate fluids and monitor for pneumonia
- B. Apply antibiotic ointment to every skin lesion
- C. Keep the child fasting until the rash disappears
- D. Give aspirin regularly to control the fever
Explanation: Fluids support the child during fever, and respiratory assessment is important because pneumonia is a serious measles complication.
Correct answer: Maintain adequate fluids and monitor for pneumonia- A. Testicular inflammation and pain
- B. Barking cough and stridor
- C. Bloody diarrhoea and dehydration
- D. Painful vesicles on the skin
Explanation: Mumps can cause orchitis, especially after puberty, so the nurse should observe for testicular pain and swelling.
Correct answer: Testicular inflammation and pain- A. Provide supportive care and safety-net advice
- B. Start injectable antibiotics immediately
- C. Prepare for emergency airway surgery
- D. Give a routine antimalarial medicine
Explanation: A child without fast breathing, chest indrawing or general danger signs usually needs supportive care, observation and clear return…
Correct answer: Provide supportive care and safety-net advice- A. Iron-deficiency anaemia
- B. Parotid gland enlargement
- C. A vesicular skin eruption
- D. A whooping cough
Explanation: Hookworms attach to the intestinal mucosa and cause chronic blood loss, which can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia.
Correct answer: Iron-deficiency anaemia- A. Continue breastfeeding and offer suitable foods
- B. Stop breastfeeding until stools become normal
- C. Give only clear water for twenty-four hours
- D. Withhold food to rest the intestine
Explanation: Breastfeeding should continue during diarrhoea, with age-appropriate nutritious foods offered as tolerated.
Correct answer: Continue breastfeeding and offer suitable foods140. Which measure helps prevent respiratory infection among children in a crowded school or household?
- A. Improve ventilation and avoid indoor smoke
- B. Share drinking cups only with siblings
- C. Keep windows closed throughout the day
- D. Use antibiotics whenever a child coughs
Explanation: Ventilation reduces the concentration of infectious respiratory particles, while avoiding tobacco and other indoor smoke protects the…
Correct answer: Improve ventilation and avoid indoor smoke