Question

The priority nursing diagnosis for a newborn diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia would be:

a. Risk for impaired parent-infant attachment.
b. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements.
c. Risk for infection.
d. Impaired gas exchange.

Answer 1

The priority nursing diagnosis for a newborn with a diaphragmatic hernia is 'Impaired gas exchange,' due to the critical impact on the newborn's respiratory system, which affects oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The priority nursing diagnosis for a newborn diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia would most likely be d. Impaired gas exchange. This condition critically impacts the newborn's respiratory system and can greatly inhibit the ability of the lungs to properly inflate and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Since a diaphragmatic hernia can cause the abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity, impeding lung expansion, ensuring that the newborn can adequately exchange gases is a critical concern.

Understanding that Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is a common issue in premature infants who can't produce enough pulmonary surfactant to inflate their lungs properly helps to clarify why impaired gas exchange is a pressing issue. While risk for infection and imbalanced nutrition are also concerns for a newborn, these are secondary to the immediate need for stable respiration and oxygenation that the diagnosis of a diaphragmatic hernia suggests.

Thus, managing the impaired gas exchange is pivotal in the immediate postnatal period to promote survival and reduce the risk of complications such as hypoxemia and acidosis.