A nurse is admitting a client who is at 30 weeks of gestation and is in preterm labor. The client has a new order for betamethasone and asks the nurse about the purpose of this medication. The nurse should provide which of the following explanations?
"It promotes fetal lung maturity."
"It halts cervical dilation."
"It increases the fetal heart rate."
"It is used to stop preterm labor contractions."
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: This statement is correct, as betamethasone is a corticosteroid that is given to pregnant women who are at risk of delivering before 34 weeks of gestation. Betamethasone stimulates the production of surfactant, which is a substance that prevents the alveoli from collapsing and improves the lung function of the fetus.
Choice B reason: This statement is incorrect, as betamethasone does not affect the cervical dilation, which is a sign of labor progression. Betamethasone does not stop or delay labor, but rather reduces the complications of prematurity, such as respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, or necrotizing enterocolitis.
Choice C reason: This statement is incorrect, as betamethasone does not increase the fetal heart rate, which is a measure of fetal well-being. Betamethasone may cause transient fetal bradycardia, which is a decrease in the fetal heart rate, due to the increased vagal tone and blood pressure. The nurse should monitor the fetal heart rate and notify the provider if there are any signs of fetal distress.
Choice D reason: This statement is incorrect, as betamethasone is not used to stop preterm labor contractions, which are caused by the uterine muscle activity. Betamethasone does not have any tocolytic effect, which is the ability to inhibit uterine contractions. Other medications, such as magnesium sulfate, nifedipine, or indomethacin, may be used to stop preterm labor contractions.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["117"]
Explanation
The correct answer is 117 mL/hr.
To calculate the IV rate, the nurse should use the following formula:
IV rate (mL/hr) = (Volume to be infused (mL) / Time of infusion (hr)) x Drop factor (gtt/mL)
In this case, the volume to be infused is 350 mL, the time of infusion is 3 hr, and the drop factor is 1 gtt/mL (assuming the IV pump is calibrated in mL/hr). Therefore, the formula becomes:
IV rate (mL/hr) = (350 mL / 3 hr) x 1 gtt/mL
IV rate (mL/hr) = 116.67 mL/hr
The nurse should round the answer to the nearest whole number, which is 117 mL/hr.
Correct Answer is ["200"]
Explanation
The correct answer is 200 mL/hr.
To calculate the IV rate, the nurse should use the following formula:
IV rate (mL/hr) = (Volume to be infused (mL) / Time of infusion (hr)) x Drop factor (gtt/mL)
In this case, the volume to be infused is 100 mL, the time of infusion is 0.5 hr (30 min), and the drop factor is 1 gtt/mL (assuming the IV pump is calibrated in mL/hr). Therefore, the formula becomes:
IV rate (mL/hr) = (100 mL / 0.5 hr) x 1 gtt/mL
IV rate (mL/hr) = 200 mL/hr
The nurse should round the answer to the nearest whole number, which is 200 mL/hr. The nurse should use a leading zero if the answer is less than 1, which is not the case here. The nurse should not use a trailing zero, which means 200 mL/hr and not 200.0 mL/hr.
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