The nurse is assessing a 5-year-old who has had a seizure. The patient's symptoms include headache, vision changes, vomiting, and papilledema. Which of the following diagnostic tests should be ordered to confirm the most likely diagnosis?

Explanation

• The child is showing signs and symptoms of a brain tumor. A CT scan is a noninvasive method of supporting this diagnosis.

• During the procedure, the patient lies still on a table that moves into a doughnut-shaped x-ray device called a gantry. The gantry uses multiple x-ray beams and detectors that rotate and produce cross-sectional views in three dimensions. The machine can be noisy.

• A definitive diagnosis can only be confirmed by histological examination of biopsy tissue.

• The most common symptoms of a brain tumor include headaches, seizures, nausea and vomiting, visual changes, syncope, and papilledema.

• Incorrect: A lumbar puncture, bone marrow biopsy, or x-ray will not aid in the diagnosis of a brain tumor.

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