Question

A child with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt will have a small upper-_____incision. This is

where the shunt is guided into the abdominal cavity, and tunneled under the skin up to the
ventricles. You should watch for abdominal _____, since fluid from the ventricles will be redirected to the peritoneum. You should also watch for signs of increasing ____, such as irritability, bulging fontanels, and high-pitched cry in an infant. In a toddler watch lack of appetite and headache. Careful on a bed position question! Bed-position after shunt placement is ___, so fluid doesn't reduce too rapidly. If you see s/s of increasing icp, then raise the hob to ____ degrees.

Answer 1

In ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for hydrocephalus, watch for abdominal distension and signs of increasing intracranial pressure. Keep the bed flat initially and raise the HOB to 30 degrees if signs of increased ICP are present.

Step-by-step explanation:

A child with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt will have a small upper-abdominal incision. This is where the shunt is guided into the abdominal cavity and tunneled under the skin up to the ventricles. You should watch for abdominal distension, since fluid from the ventricles will be redirected to the peritoneum. You should also watch for signs of increasing intracranial pressure (ICP), such as irritability, bulging fontanels, and high-pitched cry in an infant.

In a toddler, watch for a lack of appetite and headache. Careful bed positioning after shunt placement is important; the bed position should be flat to ensure that fluid doesn't reduce too rapidly. If you see signs and symptoms of increasing ICP, then raise the head of the bed (HOB) to 30 degrees.