CPNP-AC case studies
CPNP-AC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Acute Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-AC) credential is a pediatric nursing certification offered through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), one of several credentials the organization administers alongside the CPN, CPNP-PC, and PMHS certifications. It is designed for advanced practice registered nurses who assess and manage infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with acute, complex, and critical conditions - practice settings such as inpatient units, intensive care, emergency departments, and specialty acute services - rather than the well-child and chronic-condition focus of primary care certification. The CPNP-AC case studies are 5 cases and about 4,052 words.
1New-Onset DKA with Declining Neurologic Status
A 9-year-old, 30 kg, previously healthy boy is admitted to the PICU with new-onset type 1 diabetes in DKA. Initial labs: glucose 612 mg/dL, venous pH 7.12, bicarbonate 8 mEq/L, beta-hydroxybutyrate 6.8 mmol/L, potassium 5.4 mEq/L, measured sodium 132 mEq/L, BUN 22 mg/dL, creatinine 0.7 mg/dL.
689 words, about 3 min2Apnea Risk in a Young Ex-Preterm Infant with Bronchiolitis
A 7-week-old girl, born at 33 weeks' gestation and now 44 weeks postmenstrual age, weight 3.4 kg, presents to the emergency department with 3 days of coryza and cough. Her mother reports she has taken about 50% of her usual feeds and had one episode at home of choking followed by a dusky color that resolved with stimulation.
797 words, about 4 min3Status Asthmaticus with a Rising Carbon Dioxide
A 12-year-old, 45 kg, with a history of two prior PICU admissions for asthma is brought in with 18 hours of worsening wheeze after a viral illness. In the emergency department he has received three rounds of albuterol–ipratropium, IV magnesium 50 mg/kg, and dexamethasone.
741 words, about 4 min4Discharge Readiness for a Ventilator-Dependent Toddler
A 3-year-old, 14 kg, with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is ventilator-dependent through a tracheostomy and has been hospitalized for 6 weeks after a respiratory infection. He is now stable on pressure control ventilation with FiO2 0.30 and is otherwise medically ready for discharge.
906 words, about 5 min5A CLABSI Cluster on the PICU and the NP as QI Lead
You are the lead acute care NP on a 24-bed PICU. The unit's central line–associated bloodstream infection rate over the last 12 months is 4.2 per 1,000 central line days, compared with a national benchmark near 1.0.
919 words, about 5 min