Author Question: The mother of a 3-day-old infant calls the clinic and reports that her baby's skin is turning ... (Read 94 times)

TVarnum · **on:** Jun 27, 2018

The mother of a 3-day-old infant calls the clinic and reports that her baby's skin is turning slightly yellow. The nurse should explain to the mother that:

1. Physiologic jaundice is normal, and peaks at this age.
2. The newborn's liver is not working as well as it should.
3. The baby is yellow because the bowels are not excreting bilirubin.
4. The yellow color indicates that brain damage might be occurring.

Question 2

The client with limited English language skills has a black eye, and bruises across her face and arms.

The client's husband has been acting as an interpreter for her, and answers all of the questions the nurse asks, often without talking to his wife first. The nurse suspects the client has been a victim of domestic abuse. What should the nurse do next? 1. Ask the husband whether he has beaten his wife.
2. Ask the husband to have a female friend come in with his wife.
3. Provide written materials in English for the client to read at home.
4. Ask the husband to step out of the room, and obtain an interpreter.

cam1229 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 27, 2018

Answer to Question 1

1
Rationale 1: Physiologic jaundice peaks at about the third day of life, as a result of the breaking down and excretion of red blood cells (RBCs).
Rationale 2: The liver of an infant is not fully mature at this point.
Rationale 3: The liver of an infant conjugates the bilirubin, which is then excreted through the bowels.
Rationale 4: A severely jaundiced infant can have a very high bilirubin level that can lead to brain damage. An infant with severe jaundice would have a high level of yellow skin color, but this infant is only slightly yellow.

Answer to Question 2

4
Explanation: 4. Screening for women experiencing domestic violence must be done privately. An interpreter should also be provided as necessary.