Rho immune globulin (Rhogam) will be ordered postpartum if which situation occurs?

A) Caput succedaneum present:
Caput succedaneum refers to the swelling of the soft tissues on the newborn's head, typically caused by the pressure exerted during vaginal delivery. This condition is often seen after a prolonged labor or in cases of vacuum-assisted delivery. It presents as a soft, fluid-filled swelling that crosses the suture lines, which distinguishes it from a cephalhematoma (a collection of blood). This swelling is usually benign and resolves within a few days after birth without intervention.

B) Severe molding present:
Molding refers to the shaping of the newborn's skull bones as they overlap to pass through the birth canal during delivery. It typically presents as elongated or asymmetric head shapes, particularly in the vertex presentation. Severe molding would not involve swelling of the soft tissues and would not cross the suture lines. This term is typically used to describe changes in the shape of the skull bones rather than soft tissue swelling.

C) Cephalhematoma present:
A cephalhematoma is a collection of blood between the newborn's skull and the periosteum (the membrane covering the bones). Unlike caput succedaneum, a cephalhematoma does not cross the suture lines because the blood is confined to the area overlying the affected bone. Cephalhematomas are typically the result of trauma during delivery, such as forceps or vacuum extraction. The swelling in a cephalhematoma is firmer and does not appear as soft or fluid-filled as caput succedaneum.

D) Fontanels soft and flat:
The fontanels are the soft spots on the baby’s head where the skull bones have not yet fused. The anterior fontanel is usually the most prominent, and the posterior fontanel is much smaller. While fontanels should be soft and flat in the early stages, this option doesn't describe the swelling or soft tissue findings as described in the question. The soft, fluid-filled swelling over the head would be more indicative of caput succedaneum rather than a normal fontanel finding.

Given:

Desired dose: Vitamin K 0.5 mg IM

Available concentration: Vitamin K 1 mg/1 mL

To find:

Volume to administer (in mL)

Step 1: Set up the proportion

We can use the following proportion to solve the problem:

(Desired dose) / (Available concentration) = Volume to administer

Step 2: Substitute the values

Plugging in the given values, we get:

(0.5 mg) / (1 mg/1 mL) = Volume to administer

Step 3: Simplify

To simplify, we can invert the denominator and multiply:

(0.5 mg) x (1 mL / 1 mg) = Volume to administer

The "mg" units cancel out, leaving us with:

(0.5 x 1 mL) / 1 = Volume to administer

Step 4: Calculate

Performing the multiplication and division, we get:

0.5 mL / 1 = Volume to administer

0.5 mLVolume to administer