Diagnostic Procedures & Interpretation Flashcards
7 cards from real Low Risk Neonatal Nurse Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Diagnostic Procedures & Interpretation flashcards as text
Routine cranial ultrasound screening for intraventricular hemorrhage is typically recommended for which infants?
Answer: Preterm infants born at less than 30 weeks gestation, at about 7 to 10 days of age
Very preterm infants have the highest IVH risk, and screening is usually done in the first week or two of life.
Which laboratory finding on a newborn CBC most strongly suggests bacterial infection?
Answer: Immature to total neutrophil (I:T) ratio greater than 0.2
An elevated I:T ratio reflects a left shift with increased immature neutrophils in sepsis.
A capillary blood gas shows pH 7.24, PaCO2 62 mmHg, and HCO3 26 mEq/L. What is the interpretation?
Answer: Respiratory acidosis
A low pH with elevated CO2 and normal bicarbonate indicates uncompensated respiratory acidosis.
Which chest radiograph pattern is characteristic of respiratory distress syndrome in a preterm infant?
Answer: Diffuse reticulogranular ground-glass appearance with air bronchograms
Surfactant deficiency causes diffuse atelectasis that produces a ground-glass look with air bronchograms.
Serial C-reactive protein values drawn at 24 and 48 hours are both normal in an infant being treated for suspected early-onset sepsis with negative cultures. What does this support?
Answer: Considering discontinuation of antibiotics
Normal serial CRP values with negative cultures have a high negative predictive value and support stopping antibiotics.
What is the preferred timing for collecting a neonatal blood culture?
Answer: Before antibiotics are started, using an adequate blood volume
Culturing before antibiotics with adequate volume (about 1 mL) maximizes yield.
How should an infant be positioned for a lumbar puncture?
Answer: Lateral recumbent with the hips flexed and the neck not flexed
Avoiding neck flexion prevents airway obstruction and hypoxemia during the procedure.
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