Question

You're assessing the one minute APGAR score of a newborn baby. On assessment, you note the following about your newborn patient: heart rate 130, pink body and hands with cyanotic feet, weak cry, flexion of the arms and legs, active movement and crying when stimulated. What is your patient's APGAR score?

1) APGAR 9
2) APGAR 10
3) APGAR 8
4) APGAR 5

Answer 1

Option 3). The newborn's APGAR score is 8, calculated from heart rate, skin color, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration. An APGAR score of 8 is normal but may indicate the need for minor medical attention. The important criteria contributing to the score are appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculating the APGAR Score :

A newborn baby's APGAR score is determined by five factors: appearance (skin color), activity (muscle tone), grimace (reflex), and respiration. To get an APGAR score of 8, we would give the newborn mentioned the following scores: 2 for having a heart rate of 130 (normal is over 100), 1 for having pink body but cyanotic feet, 1 for having a weak cry, 2 for moving around actively, and 2 for crying when prompted. A newborn with an APGAR score of 8 has successfully left the womb, but given their feeble cry and cyanotic feet, they may require some medical attention. A score of seven or above is regarded as normal; a score of four to six suggests that you might need some medical help; and a score of three or less denotes an emergency requiring immediate medical attention. The baby is within the usual range with an APGAR score of 8.