A nurse is administering corticosteroids to a client with severe pre-eclampsia who is 32 weeks pregnant.

What is the main purpose of giving corticosteroids to this client?

To accelerate fetal lung maturity.Corticosteroids are given to pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia who are at risk of preterm delivery to help the development of the fetus’s lungs and reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome.

This can improve the survival and health outcomes of the newborn.

Choice A is wrong because corticosteroids do not reduce inflammation in pre-eclampsia.They are used for other inflammatory conditions such as asthma or arthritis.

Choice B is wrong because corticosteroids do not prevent infection in pre-eclampsia.They can actually increase the risk of infection by suppressing the immune system.

Choice D is wrong because corticosteroids do not increase platelet count in pre-eclampsia.They can actually decrease the platelet count by causing thrombocytopenia.

Protein excretion of 450 mg indicates proteinuria.Proteinuria is the presence of excess protein in the urine, which can be a sign of kidney damage or disease.Normal protein excretion in a 24-hour urine collection is less than 150 mg.

Choice A is wrong because protein excretion of 150 mg is within the normal range.

Choice B is wrong because protein excretion of 250 mg is slightly above the normal range, but not enough to indicate proteinuria.

Choice C is wrong because protein excretion of 350 mg is also above the normal range, but not enough to indicate proteinuria.

Preeclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women, usually after 20 weeks of pregnancy.It causes high blood pressure and proteinuria, which can harm both the mother and the baby.A 24-hour urine collection is a simple lab test that measures what’s in the urine and checks kidney function.The test is done by collecting all the urine passed in a 24-hour period in a special container that must be kept cool until returned to the lab.