A nurse is assisting with the preparation of an educational program on physiological changes during labor. Which of the following smooth muscle adaptations should the nurse identify as being responsible for facilitating cervical dilation and promoting descent of the fetus into the client pelvis and vaginal canal?

Relaxation of the uterus smooth muscle

Constriction of cervical smooth muscle

Stretching of the pelvic smooth muscle

Contraction of the vaginal smooth muscle

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

A. Relaxation of the uterine smooth muscle occurs during labor and is key for allowing the cervix to dilate. Uterine contractions, which involve smooth muscle contractions, help facilitate cervical dilation and fetal descent into the birth canal.

B. Constriction of cervical smooth muscle would not facilitate dilation. In fact, cervical dilation is enabled by the relaxation of cervical smooth muscle in response to uterine contractions.

C. Stretching of the pelvic smooth muscle helps accommodate the descending fetus, but the primary action for dilation is the uterine contractions and relaxation of the cervix.

D. Contraction of the vaginal smooth muscle occurs during labor but does not directly impact the cervical dilation or fetal descent, as the primary muscular adaptation involved in labor is uterine contractions.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A. Procoagulant factors, not decreased procoagulant factors, increase during pregnancy, which contributes to a hypercoagulable state.

B. Natural anticoagulants, such as antithrombin, tend to decrease during pregnancy, which actually heightens the risk of clot formation rather than mitigating it.

C. Increased blood plasma volume and elevated levels of clotting factors during pregnancy contribute to a hypercoagulable state. This adaptation helps prevent excessive bleeding during childbirth but also increases the risk of thrombosis.

D. Platelet counts do not typically increase during pregnancy; in fact, they may slightly decrease due to hemodilution, though their function remains intact.

A. Lungs B. Heart C. Kidney D. Liver

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A. The lungs are bypassed by the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus in fetal circulation, not the ductus venosus.

B. The heart is a critical pumping organ, so no blood is diverted away from it in fetal circulation.

C. The kidneys process blood, but fetal blood bypasses the liver via the ductus venosus rather than the kidneys.

D. The ductus venosus allows oxygen-rich blood from the umbilical vein to bypass the liver and flow directly into the inferior vena cava, ensuring that well-oxygenated blood reaches vital fetal organs, such as the brain and heart, more efficiently.

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse in a provider's office is caring for a client who is at 8 weeks of gestation and asks about increased risk for blood clots. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

In fetal circulation, the ductus venosus diverts blood from which of the following organs?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A woman who is 38 weeks pregnant reports feeling dizzy when lying on her back. What does the nurse explain as the most likely cause of this symptom?

A nurse is caring for a newborn. How many blood vessels should the nurse expect to observe in the newborn's umbilical cord?

A nurse is caring for a client in the prenatal clinic who is at 7 weeks of gestation. The client reports urinary frequency and asks the nurse if this will continue throughout her pregnancy. Which of the following responses by the nurse is appropriate?

A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who is at 17 weeks of gestation and is scheduled to have a maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) determination. Which of the following information should the nurse include?

A nurse is reinforcing teaching about appropriate exercises during pregnancy with a client who is at 24 weeks of gestation. Which of the following statements indicates a need for additional teaching?

The nurse is teaching the patient how to prevent backaches during pregnancy. Which of the following self-care measures should the patient take? (Select All that Apply).

A nurse is teaching a client who is 8 weeks of gestation about healthy lifestyle practices during pregnancy. Which of the following client statements indicate an understanding of the teaching?

A pregnant woman asks the nurse, "Will I be able to have a vaginal delivery?" The nurse knows that which type of female pelvis is optimal for passage of the fetal head?