Question

A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant who has gastroenteritis with mild dehydration. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

a) Sunken fontanelles
b) Increased urine output
c) Normal skin turgor
d) Increased tears when crying

Answer 1

When assessing a 6-month-old infant with gastroenteritis and mild dehydration, the nurse should expect to find sunken fontanelles, poor skin turgor, and decreased tears when crying. Increased urine output is unlikely.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a 6-month-old infant with gastroenteritis and mild dehydration, the nurse should expect to find sunken fontanelles as a result of fluid loss. The fontanelles, or soft spots on the baby's head, may be depressed due to decreased fluid volume. Increased urine output (option b) is unlikely in dehydration because the body tries to conserve fluids by reducing urine production. Normal skin turgor (option c) is not expected in mild dehydration; instead, the skin may show poor turgor due to fluid loss. Similarly, the tear ducts are likely to be less active, resulting in decreased tears when crying (option d).