Practice Test Geeks(RNC-NIC) Registered Nurse Certified in Neonatal Intensive Care Practice Test
← All RNC-NIC Flashcard Decks

Congenital Anomalies Flashcards

7 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 7 Congenital Anomalies flashcards as text

  1. A neonate with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) is found to have bilious vomiting on day 1 of life. Which diagnosis must be excluded first?

    Answer: Duodenal atresia

    Duodenal atresia occurs in approximately 30% of neonates with Down syndrome and presents with bilious vomiting and a 'double-bubble' sign on X-ray.

  2. Which finding on abdominal X-ray is pathognomonic for duodenal atresia?

    Answer: Double-bubble sign with absent distal bowel gas

    The double-bubble sign represents air in the stomach and proximal duodenum with no distal gas, confirming complete duodenal obstruction.

  3. A neonate with Hirschsprung disease undergoes a rectal biopsy. Which histologic finding confirms the diagnosis?

    Answer: Absence of ganglion cells in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses

    Hirschsprung disease is defined by the absence of ganglion cells (aganglionosis) in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses of the affected bowel segment.

  4. A 3-day-old neonate presents with failure to pass meconium, abdominal distension, and bilious vomiting. Rectal examination produces an explosive release of stool and gas. This finding MOST suggests:

    Answer: Hirschsprung disease

    Explosive release of stool after rectal examination is a classic clinical sign of Hirschsprung disease, indicating the aganglionic segment relaxes with stimulus.

  5. Which condition is MOST commonly associated with meconium ileus at birth?

    Answer: Cystic fibrosis

    Approximately 90% of neonates with meconium ileus have cystic fibrosis, caused by thick, inspissated meconium blocking the terminal ileum.

  6. A neonate with Pierre Robin sequence is placed prone immediately after birth. What is the primary rationale for this positioning?

    Answer: To allow the tongue to fall forward, relieving upper airway obstruction

    Prone positioning uses gravity to pull the displaced tongue forward, relieving the glossoptosis that causes upper airway obstruction in Pierre Robin sequence.

  7. Which cleft type carries the highest risk of feeding difficulties and requires the most intensive nursing support?

    Answer: Cleft of the soft and hard palate without cleft lip

    Cleft of the hard and soft palate prevents the infant from generating negative intraoral pressure for suction, causing the most severe feeding challenges.