Amniocentesis
Amniocentesis ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is caring for a patient who had an amniocentesis performed at 16 weeks gestation and reports cramping and vaginal bleeding 24 hours later which action should be taken first?
Administering Rho(D) immune globulin is only necessary if the mother has Rh-negative blood and the baby has Rh-positive blood, which can cause Rh sensitization. This is not given routinely to all women who have amniocentesis.
Monitor fetal heart rate. This is because cramping and vaginal bleeding after amniocentesis are signs of possible complications such as miscarriage, infection, or injury to the fetus. Monitoring the fetal heart rate can help assess the well-being of the fetus and detect any signs of distress.
Assessing maternal vital signs is not the first action to be taken. While maternal vital signs can indicate infection or bleeding, they are less important than the fetal heart rate in this situation.
Obtaining an order for an ultrasound exam is not the first action to be taken.
Monitor fetal heart rate. This is because cramping and vaginal bleeding after amniocentesis are signs of possible complications such as miscarriage, infection, or injury to the fetus.
Monitoring the fetal heart rate can help assess the well-being of the fetus and detect any signs of distress.
Choice A is wrong because administering Rho(D) immune globulin is only necessary if the mother has Rh-negative blood and the baby has Rh-positive blood, which can cause Rh sensitization.
This is not given routinely to all women who have amniocentesis.
Choice C is wrong because assessing maternal vital signs is not the first action to be taken.
While maternal vital signs can indicate infection or bleeding, they are less important than the fetal heart rate in this situation.
Choice D is wrong because obtaining an order for an ultrasound exam is not the first action to be taken.
While an ultrasound exam can help evaluate the amount of amniotic fluid and the position of the placenta and the fetus, it is not as urgent as monitoring the fetal heart rate. An ultrasound exam may be done later if there are concerns about the fetal condition or the amniotic fluid level.
Normal ranges for fetal heart rate are 110 to 160 beats per minute. Normal ranges for amniotic fluid index are 5 to 25 cm. Normal ranges for maternal vital signs vary depending on the stage of pregnancy, but generally they are: blood pressure 110/70 to 140/90 mmHg, pulse 60 to 100 beats per minute, respiratory rate 12 to 20 breaths per minute, and temperature 36.5 to 37.5°C.