A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a pre-term newborn who was born at 32 weeks of gestation.

Which of the following values indicates a potential complication of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)?

“This medication can cause premature closure of your baby’s ductus arteriosus.”

Indomethacin is a NSAID that can prevent the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are involved in preterm contractions.However, it can also cause constrictive effects on the fetal ductus arteriosus, which can lead to cardiac complications and oligohydramnios.The dosage and duration of indomethacin treatment should be carefully monitored.

Choice B is wrong because indomethacin does not increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.In fact, it may reduce the risk of bleeding by inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Choice C is wrong because indomethacin does not cause jaundice in the baby.

Jaundice is caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood, which can be due to various factors such as blood group incompatibility, infection, or liver problems.

Choice D is wrong because indomethacin does not increase blood pressure during labor.It may actually lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.

Normal ranges for indomethacin dosage are 25 to 50 mg orally every 6 hours or 100 mg rectally every 12 hours for up to 48 hours.

Normal ranges for fetal ductus arteriosus diameter are 1.5 to 4 mm before 28 weeks of gestation and 1 to 3 mm after 28 weeks of gestation.

Report any increase in vaginal discharge to the provider.This is because an increase in vaginal discharge can indicate an infection, which can trigger preterm labor or cause complications for the mother and the baby.

Choice A is wrong because sexual intercourse is not contraindicated for women who have preterm labor that was successfully stopped with tocolytic therapy, unless they have other risk factors such as placenta previa or ruptured membranes.

Choice B is wrong because drinking at least 3 L of fluids per day is not necessary for women who have preterm labor that was successfully stopped with tocolytic therapy, unless they have dehydration or oligohydramnios.

Choice D is wrong because pelvic floor exercises are not recommended for women who have preterm labor that was successfully stopped with tocolytic therapy, as they can increase uterine activity and cause contractions.

Tocolytic therapy is the use of drugs to delay delivery for a short time (up to 48 hours) if a woman begins labor too early in her pregnancy.

The purpose of tocolytic therapy is to allow time for the administration of corticosteroids or other medicine.