At 1 minute after birth, the infant has a heart rate of 100 beats per minute, and is crying vigorously. The limbs are flexed, the trunk is pink, and the feet and hands are cyanotic. The infant cries easily when the soles of the feet are stimulated. How would the nurse document this infant's Apgar score?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Apgar score is determined by evaluating the newborn on five simple criteria on a scale from zero to two, then summing up the five values thus obtained. The five criteria are Appearance (skin color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace response (reflexes), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing rate and effort). In this case, the infant would receive a score of 2 for heart rate (over 100 beats per minute), 2 for respiratory effort (crying vigorously), 2 for reflex irritability (cries easily when soles are stimulated), 2 for activity (limbs are flexed), and 1 for appearance (body pink but extremities cyanotic), totaling a score of 9.

At 1 Minute After Birth, the Infant Has a Heart