Preterm birth
Preterm birth ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is evaluating a newborn who has hyperbilirubinemia and received phototherapy for 24 hours.
Which of the following outcomes indicates that phototherapy was effective?
Bronze discoloration of the skin is a side effect of phototherapy, not an outcome.
This indicates that phototherapy was effective because it lowers the level of bilirubin in the blood by converting it into a form that can be excreted in urine and stool.
Increased urine output and specific gravity are signs of dehydration, which can occur with phototherapy due to insensible water loss.
Normal vital signs and neurological status do not reflect the effectiveness of phototherapy on bilirubin levels. Normal ranges for serum bilirubin levels vary by age and risk factors, but generally they should be less than 15 mg/dL (257 μmol/L) for term newborns and less than 18 mg/dL (308 μmol/L) for preterm newborns.
This indicates that phototherapy was effective because it lowers the level of bilirubin in the blood by converting it into a form that can be excreted in urine and stool.
Choice A is wrong because bronze discoloration of the skin is a side effect of phototherapy, not an outcome.
Choice C is wrong because increased urine output and specific gravity are signs of dehydration, which can occur with phototherapy due to insensible water loss.
Choice D is wrong because normal vital signs and neurological status do not reflect the effectiveness of phototherapy on bilirubin levels.
Normal ranges for serum bilirubin levels vary by age and risk factors, but generally they should be less than 15 mg/dL (257 μmol/L) for term newborns and less than 18 mg/dL (308 μmol/L) for preterm newborns.