A nurse is caring for a premature infant on oxygen. What action ...

[Caiter2013]

A nurse is caring for a premature infant on oxygen. What action is critical for the infant's safety?
 
  A.
  Educate the parents to care for an infant on oxygen.
  B.
  Keep the infant in an incubator while on oxygen.
  C.
  Obtain daily chest x-rays to monitor lung maturity.
  D.
  Use the lowest amount of oxygen possible.

Question 2

A preterm infant was born at 31 weeks and has been admitted to the NICU. The nurse notes expiratory grunting, nasal flaring, and cyanosis on room air. Which laboratory findings would correlate with this condition?
 
  A.
  PaCO2: 56 mm Hg
  B.
  PaO2: 76 mm Hg
  C.
  pH: 7.30
  D.
  SaO2: 94

[jharrington11]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Although oxygen therapy is often needed, it has complications, one of which is bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The use of supplemental oxygen results in lungs that fail to develop normal compliance. Preventative measures for BPD include using the lowest amount of oxygen needed to keep saturations in the desired range. If the child goes home on oxygen, the parents will need to be taught how to care for the baby. Lung maturity is assessed on the basis of function, not daily chest x-rays. The infant may need a warmer due to prematurity and inability to regulate temperature, but this is not a safety measure related to oxygen.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
This premature infant is at risk for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and has classic signs of the disorder. Laboratory values consistent with this condition are hypercarbia, metabolic acidosis, and low measured levels of oxygen either by arterial blood gas analysis or oxygen saturation. Normal PaCO2 for infants is 35-40 mm Hg, so this level is high. The other values are normal.