Kyle Pronko

Boston University School of Medicine

Pediatric Fluids and Electrolytes Pretest
Please complete this pretest to the best of your ability before review
any of the pediatric fluids and electrolytes resources. This quiz HAS NO
BEARING ON YOUR GRADE and is only to gauge your pre-class
knowledge of the subject; thus, please do not use any outside
resources to answer these questions. This quiz is ANONYMOUS.
1. Potassium is the primary cation of which body fluid space?
a. Extracellular fluid
b. Intracellular fluid
c. Interstitial fluid
d. Intravascular fluid
2. When aldosterone acts on the kidney, it increases the
reabsorption of
a. Water only
b. Water and Sodium
c. Water, Sodium, and Potassium
d. Water, Sodium, and Hydrogen ion (H+)
3. A patient with which of the following conditions would require a
decreased fluid administration compared to the average patient?
a. Diabetes insipidus
b. Bartter syndrome
c. Hyponatremic dehydration
d. Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH secretion
4. Which of these would be an appropriate resuscitation fluid?
a. 0.3% NS
b. 0.45% NS
c. 0.9% NS
d. 3% NS
e. 50% Dextrose
5. Which of these physical exam findings is most likely to lead you
to determine that a child is dehydrated (according to a metaanalysis published in JAMA, at least)?
a. Irregular respiratory rate
b. Irregular heart rate
c. Absent tears
d. Sunken fontanelle

Kyle Pronko
Boston University School of Medicine

6. An otherwise healthy child is admitted to the hospital the night

before a surgical procedure and is NPO. The surgeon would like
you to administer maintenance fluids overnight. If the child
weighs 23kg, at what rate in cc/hr should you run the fluids?
a. 13
b. 20
c. 43
d. 63
7. A mother brings her 5 year old child into the ED because he
began seizing 15 minutes ago. The mother reports that the child
has had diarrhea and vomiting for the past 3 days and has been
refusing to eat or drink anything but apple juice. Which of the
following electrolyte abnormalities is most likely to have caused
this childs seizures?
a. Hyponatremia
b. Hypokalemia
c. Hyperkalemia
d. Hypomagnesaemia
8. A father brings his 1 year old son to the ED because the boy has
felt feverish for the last 3 days. The child weighs 9kg. While
reading the childs medical record you notice that 4 days ago the
child was at his primary care office for his 1 year checkup and
weighed 11kg. What is this childs fluid deficit (in liters)?
a. 0.5
b. 1
c. 2
d. 4
9. Which of the following is a contraindication to the use of oral
rehydration therapy in the United States?
a. Vomiting during therapy
b. Stuporous mental status
c. Moderate Dehydration
d. Age less than 5