Unit 1 - Postpardum Flashcards
(234 cards)
A nurse is describing how the fetus moves through the birth canal. Which component would the nurse identify as being most important in allowing the fetal head to move through the pelvis?
A. biparietal diameter
B. sutures
C. frontal bones
D. fontanelles
Sutures are important because they allow the cranial bones to overlap in order for the head to adjust in shape (elongate) when pressure is exerted on it by uterine contractions or the maternal bony pelvis. Fontanelles are the intersections formed by the sutures. The frontal bones, along with the parietal and occipital bones are bones of the cranium that are soft and pliable. The biparietal diameter is an important diameter that can affect the birth process.
The fetus of a woman in labor is determined to be in persistent occiput posterior position. Which intervention would the nurse identify as the priority?
A. immediate cesarean birth
B. position changes
C. pain relief measures
D. oxytocin administration
Intense back pain is associated with persistent occiput posterior position. Therefore, a priority is to provide pain relief measures. Counterpressure and backrubs may be helpful. Position changes that can promote fetal head rotation are important after the nurse institutes pain relief measures. Additionally, the woman’s ability to cooperate and participate in these position changes is enhanced when she is experiencing less pain. Immediate cesarean birth is not indicated unless there is evidence of fetal distress. Oxytocin would add to the woman’s already high level of pain.
A female sex trade worker has been diagnosed with secondary syphilis. Which findings would most likely correlate with this diagnosis?
A. sore throat and flu-like symptoms
B. pain-free crusty genital lesions
C. painful dysurea
D. yellow vaginal discharge
With a secondary infection of syphilis, there would be no evidence of vaginal lesions present. Present would be a maculopapular rash (hands and feet); a sore throat; lymphadenopathy; and flu-like symptoms. Dysurea is not seen in the secondary infection. A yellow vaginal discharge is for gonorrhea.
A nurse is assisting with the delivery of a newborn. The fetal head has just emerged. Which action would be performed next?
A. clamping of the umbilical cord
B. checking for the cord around the neck
C. suctioning of the mouth and nose
D. drying of the newborn
Once the fetal head has emerged, the primary care provider explores the fetal neck to see if the umbilical cord is wrapped around it. If it is, the cord is slipped over the head to facilitate delivery. Then the health care provider suctions the newborn’s mouth first (because the newborn is an obligate nose breather) and then the nares with a bulb syringe to prevent aspiration of mucus, amniotic fluid, or meconium. Finally the umbilical cord is double-clamped and cut between the clamps. The newborn is placed under the radiant warmer, dried, assessed, wrapped in warm blankets, and placed on the woman’s abdomen for warmth and closeness.
A public health nurse is teaching a group of parents about sexually transmitted infection (STIs) and discusses the vaccine available for their children to prevent the most prevalent STI. What vaccine prevents the most prevalent STI?
A. the human papillomavirus vaccination
B. the syphilis vaccination
C. the genital herpes vaccination
D. the trichomonas vaginalis vaccination
Vaccination is available to prevent the most prevalent strains of HPV infection and may lead to a decrease in the cancer associated with HPV. There are no approved vaccinations available presently to prevent the other STIs.
After teaching the students about health and wellness, the nursing instructor identifies a need for further instruction when one of the students makes which of the following statements?
A. “Health is an active process.”
B. “Health is dynamic and ever-changing.”
C. “Health means the same to every person.”
D. “Health is more than just the absence of illness.”
Health is more than just the absence of illness; it is an active process in which a person moves toward his or her maximum potential. It also has different definitions for different people. It is not stagnant, but changes frequently.
What puts a postpartum woman at risk for DVT?
Clotting factors that increased during pregnancy tend to remain elevated during the early postpartum period. Giving birth stimulates this hypercoagulability state further. As a result, these coagulation factors remain elevated for 2 to 3 weeks postpartum (Silver & Major, 2010). This hypercoagulable state, combined with vessel damage during birth and immobility, places the woman at risk for thromboembolism (blood clots) in the lower extremities and the lungs.
Note:
Red blood cell production ceases early in the puerperium, which leads to mean hemoglobin and hematocrit levels to decrease slightly in the first 24 hours and then rise slowly over the next 2 weeks.
When describing the menstrual cycle to a group of young women, the nurse explains that estrogen levels are highest during which phase of the endometrial cycle?
A. proliferative
B. ischemic
C. secretory
D. menstrual
Estrogen levels are the highest during the proliferative phase of the endometrial cycle, when the endometrial glands enlarge in response to increasing amounts of estrogen. Progesterone is the predominant hormone of the secretory phase. Levels of estrogen and progesterone drop sharply during the ischemic phase and fall during the menstrual phase.
A new mother is changing the diaper of her 12-hour-old newborn and asks why the stool is black and sticky. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
Meconium is greenish-black and tarry and usually passed within 12 to 24 hours of birth. This is a normal finding. Iron can cause stool to turn black, but this would not be the case here. The stool is a normal occurrence and does not need to be checked for blood or reported.
What is a normal WBC count?
4,000 - 11,000 /mCl
A diabetes nurse educator is teaching a client, newly diagnosed with diabetes, about his disease process, diet, exercise, and medications. What is the goal of this education?
The basic purpose of educating and counseling is to help clients and families develop the self-care abilities (knowledge, attitude, skills) needed to maintain and improve health.
After the nurse teaches a client about ways to reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, which client statement indicates a need for additional teaching?
A. “I will make sure to take my estrogen supplements a week before my period.”
B. “I quit smoking about a month ago, so that should help.”
C. “I’ve signed up for an aerobic exercise class three times a week.”
D. “I’ll cut down on the amount of coffee and colas I drink.”
Lifestyle changes such as exercising, avoiding caffeine, and smoking cessation are a key component for managing the signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Estrogen supplements are not used. If medication is necessary, NSAIDs may be used for painful physical symptoms; spironolactone may help with bloating and water retention.
A child with persistent otitis media with effusion is to undergo insertion of pressure-equalizing tubes via a myringotomy. The child is to be discharged later that day. After teaching the parents about caring for their child after discharge, which statement indicates that the teaching was successful?
A. “He should wear earplugs when swimming in a pool or a lake.”
B. “His chances for ear infections now have dramatically decreased.”
C. “The tubes will stay in place for about a month and then fall out on their own.”
D. “We should keep the ears protected with cotton balls for the first 24 hours.”
When pressure-equalizing tubes are inserted, the surgeon may recommend avoiding water entry into the ears. Therefore, earplugs are suggested when the child is in the bathtub or swimming. When swimming in a lake, earplugs are especially important because lake water is contaminated with bacteria and entry of that water into the middle ear must be avoided. Typically, the tubes remain in place for at least several months and generally fall out on their own. Placement of pressure-equalizing tubes does not prevent middle ear infection. Other than earplugs for bathing and swimming, nothing else is placed in the child’s ear.
The fetus of a nulliparous woman is in a shoulder presentation. The nurse would most likely prepare the client for which type of birth?
A. vaginal
B. forceps-assisted
C. vacuum extraction
D. cesarean
The fetus is in a transverse lie with the shoulder as the presenting part, necessitating a cesarean birth. Vaginal birth, forceps-assisted, and vacuum extraction births are not appropriate.
When making a home visit, the nurse observes a newborn sleeping on his back in a bassinet. In one corner of the bassinet is some soft bedding material, and at the other end is a bulb syringe. The nurse determines that the mother needs additional teaching because:
The nurse should instruct the mother to remove all fluffy bedding, quilts, stuffed animals, and pillows from the crib to prevent suffocation. Newborns and infants should be placed on their backs to sleep. Having the bulb syringe nearby in the bassinet is appropriate. Although a crib is the safest sleeping location, a bassinet is appropriate initially.
What pulse rate should you expect in a postpartum woman?
60-80 bpm is normal during the first week after birth, and is called puerperal bradycardia.
A pulse rate over 100 bpm should be investigated further to rule out complications such as infection, cardiac problems, or hemorrhage.
A nurse is conducting a class for a local woman’s group about recommendations for a Pap smear. One of the participants asks, “At what age should a woman have her first Pap smear?” The nurse responds by stating that a woman should have her first Pap smear at which age?
A. 21
B. 28
C. 25
D. 18
According to the American Cancer Society, a woman should have her first Pap smear at age 21.
A nurse educator uses models of health and illness when teaching. Which model of health and illness places high-level health and death on opposite ends of a graduated scale?
A. Health Belief Model
B. Health-Illness Continuum
C. Agent-Host-Environment Model
D. Health Promotion Model
The Health-Illness Continuum views health as a constantly changing state, with high-level wellness and death being on opposite ends of a graduated scale. The Agent-Host-Environment Model is useful in examining the causes of disease in an individual. The Health Belief Model describes health behaviors. The Health Promotion Model incorporates individual characteristics and experiences, as well as behavior-specific knowledge and beliefs, to motivate healthy behavior.
A new mother who is breast-feeding her newborn asks the nurse, “How will I know if my baby is drinking enough?” Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
(hint: how many diapers?)
Soaking 6 to 12 diapers a day indicates adequate hydration. Contentedness after feeding is not an indicator for adequate hydration.
A nurse is caring for a stable toddler diagnosed with accidental poisoning, due to the ingestion of cleaning solution. What must be included in educating parents about how to protect a toddler from accidental poisoning?
A. Keep cleaning solutions locked up.
B. Label poisonous solutions.
C. Do not leave the toddler alone.
D. Closely monitor the toddler’s activity.
The parents should keep cleaning solutions locked up to protect the toddler from accidental poisoning. Accidental poisonings usually occur among toddlers and commonly involve substances located in bathrooms or kitchens. Labeling poisonous substances may not help as toddlers are unable to read. Not leaving the child alone and closely monitoring the child are important, but not feasible all the time.
A woman in labor is to receive continuous internal electronic fetal monitoring. The nurse prepares the client for this monitoring based on the understanding that which criterion must be present?
A. floating presenting fetal part
B. cervical dilation of 2 cm or more
C. a neonatologist to insert the electrode
D. intact membranes
For continuous internal electronic fetal monitoring, four criteria must be met: ruptured membranes, cervical dilation of at least 2 cm, fetal presenting part low enough to allow placement of the electrode, and a skilled practitioner available to insert the electrode.
A client with trichomoniasis is to receive metronidazole. What should the nurse instruct the client to avoid while taking this drug?
A. chocolate
B. alcohol
C. caffeine
D. nicotine
The client should be instructed to avoid consuming alcohol when taking metronidazole because severe nausea and vomiting could occur. There is no need to avoid nicotine, chocolate, or caffeine when taking metronidazole.
A client states that she is to have a test to measure bone mass to help diagnose osteoporosis. The nurse would most likely plan to prepare the client for:
A. pelvic X-ray.
B. ultrasound.
C. DEXA scan.
D. MRI.
The client most likely will be having a DEXA scan, which is a screening test that calculates the mineral content of the bone at the spine and hip. Ultrasound, MRI, and a pelvic X-ray would be of little help in determining bone mass.
A nurse is reviewing the fetal heart rate pattern and observes abrupt decreases in FHR below the baseline, appearing as a U-shape. The nurse interprets these changes as reflecting which type of deceleration?
A. variable decelerations
B. late decelerations
C. early decelerations
D. prolonged decelerations
Variable decelerations present as visually apparent abrupt decreases in FHR below baseline and have an unpredictable shape on the FHR baseline, possibly demonstrating no consistent relationship to uterine contractions. The shape of variable decelerations may be U, V, or W, or they may not resemble other patterns. Early decelerations are visually apparent, usually symmetrical and characterized by a gradual decrease in the FHR in which the nadir (lowest point) occurs at the peak of the contraction. They are thought to be a result of fetal head compression that results in a reflex vagal response with a resultant slowing of the FHR during uterine contractions. Late decelerations are visually apparent, usually symmetrical, transitory decreases in FHR that occur after the peak of the contraction. The FHR does not return to baseline levels until well after the contraction has ended. Delayed timing of the deceleration occurs, with the nadir of the uterine contraction. Late decelerations are associated with uteroplacental insufficiency. Prolonged decelerations are abrupt FHR declines of at least 15 bpm that last longer than 2 minutes but less than 10 minutes.