Final answer:
The Apgar score is the best initial diagnostic test for newborn respiratory distress, assessing critical criteria including respiration and heart rate. Low scores indicate the need for immediate intervention and possibly further diagnostics such as blood gas tests or chest X-rays.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best initial diagnostic test for newborn respiratory distress is the Apgar score, assessed immediately after birth. This test evaluates five criteria: skin color, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone, and respiration. Each criterion is given a score of 0, 1, or 2, with the total possible score being 10.
Scores are calculated at 1 minute and again at 5 minutes plst-birth. A low Apgar score may indicate the need for medical interventions such as resuscitation or slupplementaoxygen. In cases of severe respiratory distress symptoms like labored breathing or a barrel-shaped chest, further diagnostics including blood gas tests and chest X-rays might be necessary to confirm conditions like meconium aspiration. It is essential for healthcare providers to intervene quickly to stabilize the infant's condition, which may require treatments like CPAP, ventilation, or pulmonary surfactant therapy.