Neonatal Thermoregulation and Fluid Balance Flashcards
6 cards from real RNC-NIC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Neonatal Thermoregulation and Fluid Balance flashcards as text
A neonate has a serum sodium of 125 mEq/L. The nurse anticipates which clinical manifestation?
Answer: Seizures, irritability, and poor feeding
Severe hyponatremia (Na <130 mEq/L) causes cerebral edema manifesting as irritability, seizures, and neurological deterioration.
Metabolic acidosis in a neonate with normal PaCO2 and low pH is most likely caused by:
Answer: Lactic acidosis from poor perfusion or hypoxia
Metabolic acidosis with normal CO2 indicates a primary metabolic problem, most commonly lactic acidosis from tissue hypoperfusion.
The fluid of choice for volume resuscitation in a hemodynamically unstable neonate is:
Answer: Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) 10 mL/kg IV bolus
Normal saline 10 mL/kg is the first-line isotonic volume expander for neonatal hypovolemia and poor perfusion.
What is the significance of weight loss greater than 10% of birth weight in the first week of life?
Answer: Suggests inadequate fluid or nutritional intake requiring assessment
Weight loss >10% of birth weight exceeds normal physiologic diuresis and indicates potentially inadequate hydration or nutrition.
Humidity in the incubator for a 24-week gestation neonate should initially be set to approximately:
Answer: 80–90%
High humidity (80–90%) in incubators for extremely preterm infants dramatically reduces transepidermal water loss and prevents dehydration.
During therapeutic hypothermia for HIE, the target core temperature is:
Answer: 33–34°C for 72 hours
Therapeutic hypothermia for HIE uses systemic cooling to 33–34°C for 72 hours to reduce secondary brain injury from excitotoxicity.