Neonatal Evaluation & Monitoring 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 Neonatal Evaluation & Monitoring flashcards as text
A term neonate's cranial ultrasound shows a germinal matrix hemorrhage confined to the caudothalamic groove. This is classified as which grade?
Answer: Grade I IVH
Grade I (or subependymal) hemorrhage is confined to the germinal matrix at the caudothalamic groove without ventricular involvement.
Which amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) pattern is most consistent with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy requiring therapeutic hypothermia?
Answer: Burst suppression pattern
Burst suppression on aEEG — alternating high-amplitude bursts with suppressed background — indicates severe cortical dysfunction consistent with HIE.
A neonate receiving therapeutic hypothermia has a heart rate of 88 bpm. The RNC recognizes this as:
Answer: An expected physiologic response to cooling
Mild bradycardia (80-100 bpm) is an expected and acceptable physiologic response to therapeutic hypothermia in neonates with HIE.
When performing a gestational age assessment using the New Ballard Score, a score of 25 corresponds to approximately which gestational age?
Answer: 32 weeks
On the New Ballard Score, a total score of 25 corresponds to approximately 32 weeks gestation.
A 25-week neonate on high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has a MAP of 12 cmH2O and amplitude of 30. The CO2 is 68 mmHg. Which adjustment addresses hypercarbia on HFOV?
Answer: Increase amplitude (delta P)
On HFOV, CO2 elimination is primarily controlled by amplitude (delta P); increasing amplitude improves CO2 clearance.
Which finding on a neonatal echocardiogram most strongly suggests a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA)?
Answer: Retrograde diastolic flow in the descending aorta
Retrograde (reversed) diastolic flow in the descending aorta indicates significant left-to-right ductal steal, confirming hemodynamic significance.
A preterm infant at 32 weeks shows apnea lasting 25 seconds with bradycardia to 80 bpm and oxygen desaturation to 78%. This episode is best classified as:
Answer: Apnea of prematurity — mixed type
Mixed apnea — the most common type in preterm infants — involves both central cessation of respiratory drive and obstructive components, with associated bradycardia and desaturation.