Image: Shutterstock
About This Quiz
Medical care for children -- it's a lot harder than giving shots and handing out lollipops! Think you could make it as a children's doctor? Show off your smarts with our quiz!
"Pediatrics" comes from the word for "child" in which language?
Gaelic
Greek
"Paidos" is "child" in Greek, the language that has given roots to many English words. Words having to do with teaching, like "pedantic" also come from this root.
Russian
Swahili
What is the more common name for catarrh?
bedwetting
acne
sniffles or running nose
Medicine, including pediatrics, has a technical name for everything. Even the common childhood problem of a runny nose, which is catarrh.
upset stomach
What is another name for pertussis?
Broca's cough
eruction
rhinotillexmania
whooping cough
Pertussis starts out looking like a regular cold. But the cough can be so severe that children fracture ribs. Ouch!
Advertisement
If a cough is bringing up phlegm, it is said to be _________.
invasive
exovasive
productive
The opposite of a dry cough is a productive cough. "Phlegmatic" is actually a term from the discredited "four humors" theory of medicine. It was once believed that "phlegmatic" people had an excess of phlegm, which was the key to their health issues, and even their personality, which is why we call inexpressive, unemotional people "phlegmatic."
phlegmatic
In terms of health, children have certain things in common with ________.
the aged
Children and the elderly are both more vulnerable to infectious disease, for example, because children's immune systems are still developing, and in the elderly the immune system is breaking down with age. Some cynical med-school types refer to these two groups as "the newly bred and the nearly dead."
animals
paraplegics
insects
If you give a child an antipyretic, what are you trying to do?
bring down fever
A little Greek goes a long way. "Pyros" means fire (see also, "pyromania"), hence the connection to fever.
prevent behavioral problems
relieve pain
increase IQ
Advertisement
Which of these diseases is responsible for nearly 20 percent of early childhood deaths?
brain cancer
polio
pneumonia
Most of the young children killed by pneumonia are in the Third World. Africa is especially hard-hit.
typhus
Why, in terms of health, should children be allowed to play in grass and mud, and with animals?
they absorb minerals this way
it prevents autoimmune disease later in life
Challenges to the immune system in youth make it stronger. It is believed that this is why there's so much autoimmune disease in the developed world, and less in the Third World -- parents in wealthy nations to tend keep children's environments excessively clean, which backfires in terms of immune health.
it reduces psychiatric illness later in life
they shouldn't
A child's lower body weight puts him/her at risk of ________.
growth disorders
medicine overdose
Even over-the-counter medications can endanger small children if adults guess at the dose they need. When in doubt, wait and take a child to a healthcare professional.
overeating
autoimmune disease
Advertisement
"Vaccination" takes its name from the Latin word for ______.
cat
cow
"Vacca" is Latin for cow. Early vaccinations -- then called "inoculations" -- used the milder cowpox virus to create immunity to the deadly smallpox virus.
safety
puncture
Which of these diseases has no vaccine?
tetanus
polio
pertussis
scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is named for the rash and/or reddened cheeks that accompany it. It is the result of a bacterial infection, and has been brought under control by antibiotic treatment, handwashing and good sanitation, not a vaccine.
Which of these diseases is also known as lockjaw?
chicken pox
smallpox
scarlet fever
tetanus
Tetanus is one of the diseases for which children regularly receive vaccinations. However, adults need to get booster shots too, about every ten years. Tetanus -- which causes muscle rigidity, hence the name "lockjaw" -- never stops being a threat.
Advertisement
Which of these diseases is NOT part of a combination vaccine with the other three?
diptheria
human papilloma virus
Diptheria, pertussis and tetanus are vaccinated for in combination injections, commonly the TDaP or DTaP shots. Human papilloma virus is different in nature -- it's usually spread via sex, and is often symptomless in adults.
pertussis
tetanus
What is the common term for nocturnal enuresis?
bed-wetting
Bed-wetting is common among young children. However, if it persists beyond early childhood, it can be a sign of emotional trauma, or even a physical condition. It should not be ignored by a pediatrician.
eating paint chips
overeating
the hiccups
Which of these critical lifesaving medicines was developed in the 1920s?
ibuprofen
morphine
penicillin
Alexander Fleming developed penicillin in the late 1920s. It was particularly useful in cases of pneumonia, a common childhood killer.
Nyquil
Advertisement
Which of these diseases is known for its hoarse, bark-like cough?
diptheria
Diptheria is one of the diseases which vaccination has brought under control. It causes a cough, sore throat, fever and swollen lymph nodes. These are not usually harmful in themselves, but complications of diptheria can affect the heart and nerves.
malaria
polio
tetanus
Can a child have an STD?
yes
There are several reasons a pediatrician might test a child for an STD. One is suspected abuse. Being on the alert for physical or sexual abuse is an important part of a pediatrician's job.
no
Is a neonatal exam considered part of pediatrics?
yes
Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics (which has many such specialties). Pediatrics includes the care of children from birth through adolescence.
no
Advertisement
The leading cause of death among adolescents is _________.
accidents
Books and movies tend to present adolescents as at great risk of drug overdose or suicide, but actually these are not common causes of death or serious harm in teenagers. The group most prone to suicide? The elderly.
cancer
drug overdose
suicide
What is the BRAT diet?
a diet for misbehaving kids
beans, rice, and tortas
bananas, rice, applesauce, toast
The BRAT diet comes into play when a child is recovering from gastroenteritis. These are mild foods that are unlikely to cause a relapse of diarrhea or vomiting.
beer, rum and tequila
What is the cure for the common cold?
lots of orange juice and herbal tea
Sprite, white toast and chicken soup
warm lemonade with orange juice in it
There is no cure.
All of the other options are "folk" treatments for a cold, and it's true that many things can make a child with a cold feel better. But the illness has to run its course.
Advertisement
Can stress trigger asthma in children?
true
While asthma has both a genetic component and environmental triggers (like pet dander), stress or strong emotion can bring on an attack. Children deal with stress just like adults do; the difficulties of their lives shouldn't be dismissed as "just kid stuff."
false
Which childhood disease is near eradication, thanks largely to Jonas Salk?
influenza
scarlet fever
polio
Polio, short for poliomyelitis, isn't just a childhood disease. But it used to hit children hard because of its transmission through trace fecal matter. (Children's hygiene habits, especially in using the bathroom, really aren't all they should be).
tetanus
Bedwetting, unexplained weight loss and unusual thirst are signs of ________.
diabetes
Children wet the bed sometimes, of course. But if the behavior appears in a child with otherwise good bladder control, along with symptoms like weight loss, thirst and irritability, juvenile diabetes might be the reason.
influenza
leukemia
tetanus
Advertisement
Can an obese child be malnourished?
yes
This is actually fairly common in poor families. Kids might have high-calorie diets, but if those calories come from fruit punch, cola, chips, candy and white bread, without adequate fruits, vegetables and proteins, they will show signs of malnutrition, like hair falling out and bad skin.
no
For which illness might a pediatrician prescribe a rescue inhaler?
asthma
Sometimes asthma is only minor. But for acute attacks, a rescue inhaler with an albuterol solution is important, and children should be taught to carry them and use them.
chicken pox
roseola
tetanus
True or false: Can homeopathic medicines help childhood ear infections?
true
false
Homeopathic medication actually contains no active ingredient. Instead, it is said to retain the "memory" of being exposed to a substance because of the "intention" of the homeopath. Unfortunately, when parents don't understand this, it's children who suffer.
Advertisement
Anaphylaxis is a dangerous symptom of what ailment?
allergy
Some allergens, like peanuts or bee venom, cause an acute crisis called anaphylaxis. It can be life-threatening when swelling of tissues in the airways does not allow for proper breathing. Both children and adults can suffer from these allergies.
bone cancer
influenza
epilepsy
What would a child with a life-threatening allergy probably carry?
a defibrillator
an "EpiPen"
"EpiPen" is actually a trademarked name, but it's what most people say when they mean "epinephrine autoinjector." It cuts short an anaphylactic crisis, which can literally be a lifesaver.
a tube of Neosporin
a service animal
Which of these cancers is the most common in children?
osteosarcoma
leukemia
Leukemia isn't one disease, but several cancers affecting blood cells and bone marrow. According the the American Cancer Society, they are responsible for about 30 percent of childhood cancer cases.
pancreatic cancer
skin cancer
Advertisement
Is chemotherapy not recommended for children under 12?
true
false
Children can have chemotherapy, and in fact tend to bounce back from it faster than adults. Radiation is more likely to have damaging long-term effects in the very young, according to the American Cancer Society -- but as with all treatments, risks versus benefits must be carefully weighed.
Which of these is a legal/ethical issue in the treatment of children?
giving out lollipops with a high sugar content
getting consent for treatment
Children cannot legally make decisions about their medical care; the parent or guardian must. But a pediatrician also has to pay attention to whether the adult seems to have the child's true best interest at heart, and try to intervene if not.
drawing blood from someone so small
charging for treatment for preventive care
Which of these techniques would likely be used in a pediatric abdominal exam?
throat culturing
scratch testing
palpation
Palpation simply means pressing or gently kneading a part of the body to feel for anomalies. A hard or distended abdomen is a sign that something is wrong.
otoscopy
Advertisement
Is it ever appropriate to treat children with medical marijuana?
yes, in certain cases
Marijuana shows potential in treating frequent seizures in children, seizures that are resistant to other medication. Medical marijuana growers have developed strains for children that are low in intoxicating effects while still high in therapeutic effects, so juvenile patients can pursue their studies and hobbies without the distraction of, well, getting high.
no, never
Coxsackie virus causes what childhood malady?
hand-foot-mouth disease
Hand-foot-mouth disease is not serious (usually), and causes red blisters on the body parts in the name. It's spread by direct contact, and teaching kids good handwashing habits can help prevent it.
chicken pox
walking pneumonia
whooping cough
You Got:
/35
Shutterstock