An infant at 26 weeks of gestation arrives from the delivery room intubated.The nurse weighs the infant,places him under the radiant warmer,and attaches him to the ventilator at the prescribed settings.A pulse oximeter and cardiorespiratory monitor are placed.The pulse oximeter is recording oxygen saturations of 80%.The prescribed saturations are 92%.What is the nurse's most appropriate action?
A) Listen to breath sounds and ensure the patency of the endotracheal tube,increase oxygen,and notify a physician.
B) Continue to observe and make no changes until the saturations are 75%.
C) Continue with the admission process to ensure that a thorough assessment is completed.
D) Notify the parents that their infant is not doing well.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Listening to breath sounds and ensuring the patency of the endotracheal tube,increasing oxygen,and notifying a physician are appropriate nursing interventions to ensure optimal oxygen saturation of the infant.Oxygenation of the infant is crucial.O₂ saturation should be maintained above 92 to 94%.The nurse should delay other tasks to stabilize the infant.Notifying the parents that the infant is not doing well is not an appropriate action.Further assessment and intervention are warranted before determination of fetal status.

An Infant at 26 Weeks of Gestation Arrives from the Delivery