A newborns failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may indicate which of the following?

a.Hirschsprung disease b. Celiac disease c. Intussusception d. Abdominal wall defect Answer A Failure to pass meconium within the first 24 hours after birth may be an indication of Hirschsprung disease, a congenital anomaly resulting in mechanical obstruction due to inadequate motility in anintestinal segment. Failure to pass meconium is not associated with celiac disease, intussusception, or abdominal wall defect.

Which of the following should the nurse do first after noting that a child with Hirschsprung disease has a fever and watery explosive diarrhea? a. Notify the physician immediately b. Administer antidiarrheal medications c. Monitor child ever 30 minutes d. Nothing, this is characteristic of Hirschsprung disease Answer A. For the child with Hirschsprung disease, fever and explosive diarrhea indicate enterocolitis, a lifethreatening situation. Therefore, the physician should be notified immediately. Generally, because of the intestinal obstruction and inadequate propulsive intestinal movement, antidiarrheals are not used to treat Hirschsprung disease. The child is acutely ill and requires intervention, with monitoring more frequently than every 30 minutes. Hirschsprung disease typically presents with chronic constipation.