Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 87%
Full-length
A 5-month-old infant is admitted to the ER with a temperature of 103.6°F and irritability. The mother states that the child has been listless for the past several hours and that he had a seizure on the way to the hospital. A lumbar puncture confirms a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The nurse should assess the infant for:
Correct answer
B
Rationale
Tenseness of the anterior fontanel indicates increased intracranial pressure, a critical finding in bacterial meningitis in infants.