A patient’s amniotic fluid is meconium-stained. Which action should the nurse plan to take?

Take the mother’s vital signs every 15 minutes.

Send a specimen of the fluid to the laboratory for analysis.

Have a suction catheter available for use at delivery.

Prepare a slide of the fluid for fern testing.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

The correct answer is choice C. Have a suction catheter available for use at delivery. This is because meconium-stained amniotic fluid indicates that the fetus has passed meconium (first stool) before birth, which can be a sign of fetal distress or hypoxia. Meconium can block the airways and cause breathing problems for the newborn, so suctioning the mouth and nose (or the trachea if needed) is important to prevent meconium aspiration syndrome.

Choice A is wrong because taking the mother’s vital signs every 15 minutes is not a specific intervention for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Vital signs should be monitored regularly during labor regardless of the fluid color.

Choice B is wrong because sending a specimen of the fluid to the laboratory for analysis is not a priority action.The color and consistency of the fluid can be observed by the nurse and documented.

The laboratory analysis will not change the immediate management of the newborn.

Choice D is wrong because preparing a slide of the fluid for fern testing is not relevant for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Fern testing is used to confirm the rupture of membranes by detecting a fern-like pattern of amniotic fluid under a microscope.It is not useful for assessing the presence or severity of meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

This is because epidural anesthesia can cause hypotension (low blood pressure) which can affect the placental blood flow and fetal oxygenation.

The nurse should monitor the patient’s blood pressure frequently and intervene if it drops below the baseline.

Choice A is wrong because assessing the patient’s urine for acetone is not relevant to the side effects of epidural anesthesia.Acetone in urine can indicate diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes that occurs when the body breaks down fat for energy due to lack of insulin.

However, this is not related to epidural anesthesia.

Choice B is wrong because monitoring the patient’s deep tendon reflexes is not relevant to the side effects of epidural anesthesia.Deep tendon reflexes can be affected by magnesium sulfate, a medication used to prevent seizures in patients with preeclampsia (a condition characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria in pregnancy).

However, this is not related to epidural anesthesia.

Choice C is wrong because assessing the patient’s pupillary accommodation is not relevant to the side effects of epidural anesthesia.

Pupillary accommodation is the ability of the eye to adjust its focus from distant to near objects.It can be impaired by drugs that affect the nervous system, such as opioids or anticholinergics.

A. The patient’s cervix is dilated. B. The patient’s uterine contraction pattern is enhanced. C. The patient’s cervix is softened. D. The patient’s uterus is softened.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

The correct answer is choice B. The patient’s uterine contraction pattern is enhanced.Prostaglandin E2 gel is used to induce labor by ripening and dilating the cervix and stimulating uterine contractions.The effectiveness of the gel can be measured by the frequency, duration and intensity of the contractions.

A stronger and more regular contraction pattern indicates that the gel is working and labor is progressing.

Choice A is wrong because cervical dilation is not the only indicator of labor induction.Cervical dilation can occur without contractions or with weak and irregular contractions, which means that labor is not established yet.

Choice C is wrong because cervical softening (or effacement) is a prerequisite for cervical dilation, but it does not necessarily mean that labor has started.Cervical softening can occur weeks before labor or even during pregnancy.

Choice D is wrong because uterine softening (or relaxation) is the opposite of what prostaglandin E2 gel is supposed to do.Uterine softening reduces the contractility and tone of the uterus, which can lead to prolonged labor or fetal distress.

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A patient’s amniotic fluid is meconium-stained. Which action should the nurse plan to take?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient who is 37 weeks pregnant and has gestational diabetes is admitted to the labor and delivery unit for induction. The patient is placed on an external fetal monitor and receives an epidural anesthesia.Which action should the nurse take to identify a potential side effect of the epidural?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

The physician prescribes prostaglandin (PGE2) gel for a patient being admitted for induction of labor. Which finding would best indicate that the prostaglandin gel is effective?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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