Narcotic analgesia is administered to a laboring client at 10:00 a.m. The infant is delivered at 10:35 A.M. The nurse would anticipate that the narcotic analgesia could:
Select one:
Enhance uterine contractions.
Be used in place of preoperative sedation.
Result in neonatal respiratory depression.
Prevent the need for anesthesia with an episiotomy.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A Reason: Enhance uterine contractions. This is an incorrect answer that contradicts the effect of narcotic analgesia on uterine activity. Narcotic analgesia can reduce uterine contractions by decreasing maternal catecholamine levels, which can prolong labor or increase bleeding.
Choice B Reason: Be used in place of preoperative sedation. This is an irrelevant answer that does not apply to this scenario. Preoperative sedation is a medication given before surgery to reduce anxiety, pain, or nausea. Narcotic analgesia can be used as a preoperative sedative, but it is not related to labor or delivery.
Choice C Reason: Result in neonatal respiratory depression. This is because narcotic analgesia can cross the placenta and affect the fetal central nervous system, which can cause decreased respiratory drive, apnea, bradycardia, or hypotonia in the newborn. The risk of neonatal respiratory depression is higher when narcotic analgesia is administered close to delivery, as there is less time for placental clearance or maternal metabolism.
Choice D Reason: Prevent the need for anesthesia with an episiotomy. This is an inaccurate answer that overestimates the effect of narcotic analgesia on perineal pain. Narcotic analgesia can provide some relief of labor pain, but it does not block pain sensation completely or locally. An episiotomy is a surgical incision made in the perineum to enlarge the vaginal opening during delivery, which requires local anesthesia or regional anesthesia (such as epidural or spinal). Narcotic analgesia does not prevent or replace anesthesia with an episiotomy.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A Reason: "Your body is responding to the events of labor, just like after a tough workout." This is an inaccurate statement that does not explain the cause of the contractions or reassure the client.
Choice B Reason: "This could be a sign that your body is trying to get rid of retained placental fragments." This is an alarming statement that may scare the client and imply that something is wrong. Retained placental fragments are rare and usually cause heavy bleeding, fever, and infection.
Choice C Reason: "Let me check your vaginal discharge just to make sure everything is fine." This is an unnecessary statement that does not answer the client's question or provide any information.
Choice D Reason:"The baby's sucking releases oxytocin which causes your uterus to contract." This is a correct statement that explains the physiological mechanism of the contractions and reassures the client that they are normal and beneficial.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A Reason: Physiologic anemia due to maternal increased plasma volume. This is an incorrect answer that refers to a different condition that affects hemoglobin levels, not blood pressure. Physiologic anemia is a condition where the maternal plasma volume increases more than the red blood cell mass during pregnancy, which dilutes the hemoglobin concentration and lowers the hematocrit value. Physiologic anemia does not cause significant symptoms or complications in pregnant women, as it is an adaptive mechanism that enhances oxygen delivery and prevents fluid overload.
Choice B Reason: Pressure of the gravid uterus on the maternal inferior vena cava and aorta. This is because this statement explains the cause of supine hypotensive syndrome, which is a condition where lying flat on the back causes compression of the major blood vessels by the gravid uterus, which reduces venous return and cardiac output, which lowers blood pressure and perfusion to vital organs. Supine hypotensive syndrome can cause symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, pallor, or syncope in pregnant women, especially in the third trimester.
Choice C Reason: Pressure of the presenting fetal part on the maternal diaphragm. This is an incorrect answer that indicates a different condition that affects respiratory function, not blood pressure. Pressure of the presenting fetal part on the maternal diaphragm is a result of cephalic engagement or lightening, which occurs when the fetal head descends into the pelvis and occupies more space in the abdominal cavity. Pressure of the presenting fetal part on the maternal diaphragm can cause symptoms such as dyspnea, heartburn, or rib pain in pregnant women.
Choice D Reason: A 50% increase in maternal blood volume during pregnancy. This is an incorrect answer that describes a normal physiological change that occurs during pregnancy, not a cause of supine hypotensive syndrome. A 50% increase in maternal blood volume during pregnancy is due to increased production of plasma and red blood cells, which helps meet the increased oxygen and nutrient demands of the fetus and placenta, and prepares the mother for blood loss during delivery. A 50% increase in maternal blood volume during pregnancy does not cause hypotension or dizziness in pregnant women.

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