Rh hemolytic disease is suspected in a mothers second baby, a son. Which factor is important in understanding how this could develop?
- A. The first child was a girl.
- B. The first child was Rh positive.
- C. Both parents have type O blood.
- D. She was not immunized against hemolysis.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hemolytic disease of the newborn results from an abnormally rapid rate of red blood cell (RBC) destruction. The major causes of this are maternal-fetal Rh and ABO incompatibility. If an Rh-negative mother has previously been exposed to Rh-positive blood through pregnancy or blood transfusion, antibodies to this blood group antigen may develop so that she is isoimmunized. With further exposure to Rh-positive blood, the maternal antibodies agglutinate with the RBCs of the fetus that has the antigen and destroy the cells. Hemolytic disease caused by ABO incompatibilities can be present with the first pregnancy. The gender of the first child is not a concern. Blood type is the important consideration. If both parents have type O blood, ABO incompatibility should not be a possibility.
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A mother brings her 6-week-old infant in with complaints of poor feeding, lethargy, fever, irritability, and a vesicular rash. What does the nurse suspect?
- A. Impetigo
- B. Candidiasis
- C. Neonatal herpes
- D. Congenital syphilis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Neonatal herpes is one of the most serious viral infections in newborns, with a mortality rate of up to 60% in infants with disseminated disease. Bullous impetigo is an infectious superficial skin condition most often caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection. It is characterized by bullous vesicular lesions on previously untraumatized skin. Candidiasis is characterized by white adherent patches on the tongue, palate, and inner aspects of the cheeks. Congenital syphilis has multisystem manifestations, including hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia.
The nurse is caring for an infant who will be discharged on home phototherapy. What instructions should the nurse include in the discharge teaching to the parents?
- A. Apply an oil-based lotion to the infants skin two times per day to prevent the skin from drying out under the phototherapy light.
- B. Keep the eye shields on the infants eyes even when the phototherapy light is turned off.
- C. Take the infants temperature every 2 hours while the newborn is under the phototherapy light.
- D. Make a follow-up visit with the health care provider within 2 or 3 days after your infant has been on phototherapy.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: With short hospital stays, infants may be discharged with a prescription for home phototherapy. It is the responsibility of the nurse planning discharge to include important information such as the need for a follow-up visit with the health care provider in 2 or 3 days to evaluate feeding and elimination pattern and to have blood work done if needed. The parents should be taught to not apply oil or lotions to prevent increased tanning; the babys eye shields can come off when the phototherapy lights are turned off, and the infants temperature needs to be monitored but not taken every 2 hours.
What is an important nursing intervention for a full-term infant receiving phototherapy?
- A. Observing for signs of dehydration
- B. Using sunscreen to protect the infants skin
- C. Keeping the infant diapered to collect frequent stools
- D. Informing the mother why breastfeeding must be discontinued
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Dehydration is a potential risk of phototherapy. The nurse monitors hydration status to be alert for the need for more frequent feedings and supplemental fluid administration. Lotions are not used; they may contribute to a frying effect. The infant should be placed nude under the lights and should be repositioned frequently to expose all body surfaces to the lights. Breastfeeding is encouraged. Intermittent phototherapy may be as effective as continuous therapy. The advantage to the mother and father of being able to hold their infant outweighs the concerns related to clearance.
Which is a bright red, rubbery nodule with a rough surface and a well-defined margin that may be present at birth?
- A. Port-wine stain
- B. Juvenile melanoma
- C. Cavernous hemangioma
- D. Strawberry hemangioma
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Strawberry hemangiomas (or capillary hemangiomas) are benign cutaneous tumors that involve only capillaries. They are bright red, rubbery nodules with rough surfaces and well-defined margins. They may or may not be apparent at birth but enlarge during the first year of life and tend to resolve spontaneously by ages 2 to 3 years. A port-wine stain is a vascular stain that is a permanent lesion and is present at birth. Initially, it is a pink; red; or, rarely, purple stain of the skin that is flat at birth; it thickens, darkens, and proportionately enlarges as the infant grows. Melanoma is not differentiated into juvenile and adult forms. A cavernous hemangioma involves deeper vessels in the dermis and has a bluish red color and poorly defined margins.
The nurse is caring for a newborn with Erb palsy. The nurse understands that which reflex is absent with this condition?
- A. Root reflex
- B. Suck reflex
- C. Grasp reflex
- D. Moro reflex
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Erb palsy (Erb-Duchenne paralysis) is caused by damage to the upper plexus and usually results from stretching or pulling away of the shoulder from the head. The Moro reflex is absent in a newborn with Erb palsy. The root and suck reflex are not affected. A grasp reflex is present in newborns because the finger and wrist movements remain normal.
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