Premature infants who exhibit 5 to 10 seconds of respiratory pauses followed by 10 to 15 seconds of compensatory rapid respiration are:.
Suffering from sleep or wakeful apnea.
Experiencing severe swings in blood pressure.
Trying to maintain a neutral thermal environment.
Breathing in a respiratory pattern common to premature infants.
The Correct Answer is D
This pattern is called periodic breathing and it is characterized by 5 to 10 seconds of respiratory pauses followed by 10 to 15 seconds of compensatory rapid respiration. It is a normal phenomenon that occurs primarily in premature infants of more than 24 hours of age. It is usually not of pathologic significance and does not require intervention.
Choice A is wrong because sleep or wakeful apnea is defined as a cessation of breathing for more than 20 seconds or less than 20 seconds with bradycardia or cyanosis.
Choice B is wrong because severe swings in blood pressure are not associated with periodic breathing, but rather with intraventricular hemorrhage or patent ductus arteriosus.
Choice C is wrong because trying to maintain a neutral thermal environment does not affect the respiratory pattern of premature infants.
Normal ranges for respiratory rate in premature infants are 40 to 60 breaths per minute. Normal ranges for oxygen saturation in premature infants are 88% to 92%.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
choice A. Surfactant improves the ability of your baby’s lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Surfactant is a substance that coats the inner surface of the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs.
It reduces the surface tension of the alveoli and prevents them from collapsing during exhalation.
Premature infants often lack enough surfactant, which leads to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Artificial surfactant is given to these infants to help them breathe more easily. Choice B is wrong because surfactant has nothing to do with sedation.
Sedation is a state of reduced consciousness induced by drugs. Surfactant does not affect the level of consciousness of the infant.
Choice C is wrong because surfactant is not used to reduce episodes of periodic apnea.
Periodic apnea is a condition where the infant stops breathing for a short time, usually due to immature brainstem function.
Surfactant does not affect the brainstem or the control of breathing.
Choice D is wrong because surfactant is not used to fight a possible respiratory tract infection. Surfactant does not have any antibacterial or antiviral properties.
Surfactant is used to treat RDS, which is caused by a lack of surfactant, not by an infection.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
This is because a patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that involves a defect in which the fetal shunt between the aorta and the pulmonary artery fails to close. This causes a continuous machinery-like murmur that can be heard on auscultation.
Choice A is wrong because pulmonary stenosis is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve or artery that obstructs blood flow to the lungs. It causes a systolic ejection murmur that is best heard at the upper left sternal border.
Choice C is wrong because the ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall between the ventricles that allows blood to flow from the left to the right side of the heart. It causes a loud, harsh holosystolic murmur that is best heard at the left lower sternal border.
Choice D is wrong because coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta that reduces blood flow to the lower body. It causes a systolic murmur that radiates to the back and weak or absent femoral pulses.
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