Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CPEN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct choice highlights common causes of fever in pediatric patients, emphasizing the role of infections, inflammatory diseases, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Infections, such as viral and bacterial illnesses, are the most prevalent reasons for fever in children. When the body experiences an infection, the immune response generates pyrogens that increase the thermostat set point in the hypothalamus, resulting in fever as a means to combat the pathogen.

Inflammatory diseases, including conditions such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, can also lead to fever due to the underlying inflammatory processes influencing the body’s temperature regulation.

Additionally, central nervous system disorders, such as meningitis or encephalitis, can cause fever by directly affecting the brain's temperature control center or by causing inflammation, leading to an elevated temperature.

This response effectively encompasses a range of significant medical conditions that can present with fever in children, making it a comprehensive choice for the causes of fever in pediatric patients.