A nurse is admitting an 8-year-old child to the pediatric unit. Exhibits For each potential condition, click to specify if the child's assessment findings are consistent with Hodgkin Lymphoma, Bacterial Meningitis, or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Each finding may support more than 1 diseases.

Child's Assessment Findings Hodgkin Lymphoma Bacterial Meningitis Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Neurologic ✓ Skin ✓ ✓ Pain ✓ ✓ Lymph nodes ✓ ✓ Neurologic: Neurologic symptoms such as lethargy, nuchal rigidity, and headache strongly indicate bacterial meningitis due to infection of the CNS. ALL can also cause neurologic signs through leukemic infiltration of the CNS. These symptoms are not typical in Hodgkin lymphoma. Skin: Petechiae commonly occur in ALL because of thrombocytopenia from bone marrow involvement, and they can appear in bacterial meningitis due to septicemia. Hodgkin lymphoma rarely causes petechiae without marrow involvement. Pain: Headache and nausea are classic for meningitis due to meningeal inflammation. Pain would only occur in ALL if there is CNS involvement. Hodgkin lymphoma usually does not cause acute pain or meningeal symptoms. Lymph nodes: Cervical lymphadenopathy is a defining feature of Hodgkin lymphoma. It also occurs in ALL due to leukemic infiltration, but it is not typical or prominent in bacterial meningitis.