Question

What is the priority interventions for respiratory depression for the newborn delivered 1 hour after the mother received a narcotic analgesic for labor pain?

Answer 1

The priority interventions for a newborn experiencing respiratory depression after maternal narcotic analgesic administration include using an opiate antagonist like naloxone, resuscitation and intubation if necessary, CPAP for spontaneous breathing, and supportive therapies like pulmonary surfactant, supplemental oxygen, and assisted ventilation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Priority Interventions for Newborn with Respiratory Depression

When a newborn is delivered after the mother has received a narcotic analgesic during labor, the newborn may experience respiratory depression due to the effects of the medication. The priority interventions include the following:

Resuscitation and intubation if the infant is not breathing spontaneously, followed by ventilation support. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may be applied if the infant has spontaneous breathing.

Supplementary oxygen and assisted ventilation can be part of the care for the newborn to ensure adequate oxygenation.

• Supportive care such as temperature regulation, nutritional support, and antibiotics may be provided as needed, especially if the infant is premature.

The use of naloxone is especially important to counteract the effects of the narcotic analgesic, but its use must be monitored due to its short duration of action and the necessity of the parenteral route of administration.

Answer 2

The priority intervention is to use a different narcotic that counters the effects of the previously used one and this is called a narcotic antagonist. In this case, the narcotic that should be used is Naloxone (Narcan), but that's just a brand name, other countries have probably different names for this narcotic because of their legislature.