Final answer:
The Apgar score is an assessment method used to evaluate a newborn's health immediately after birth by scoring five criteria: skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration. High scores indicate good health, while low scores may require medical intervention. The score is typically taken at 1 and 5 minutes post-birth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Apgar Score Assessment in Newborn Care
An Apgar score is a critical tool used in newborn care to assess a baby's health after birth. Each of the five criteria—skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration—receives a score between 0 and 2. A score is taken at both 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth, and the separate values are added to give a total score out of 10. A high Apgar score indicates that the newborn is adapting well outside the womb, but a low Apgar score may signal distress and the need for immediate medical intervention. It’s important to monitor these scores as heart rate and respiration are particularly critical for the newborn’s survival.
When caring for a newborn who is 70 hours old, a nurse should prioritize actions like:
- Reporting the newborn's inconsolable high-pitched cry
- Documenting the increased muscle tone and tremors
- Monitoring the newborn's respiratory rate for improvement
Assessing the newborn's Apgar scores at 10 minutes is not customary, as scores are typically taken at 1 and 5 minutes post-birth. However, observing ongoing symptoms such as a high-pitched cry or tremors could be indicative of other health concerns that require attention and should not be overlooked.