Final answer:
An accurate infant pulse must be taken at the brachial artery for 1 full minute as part of the Apgar score assessment, which includes heart rate as a crucial parameter. A low score in heart rate during this assessment indicates a need for medical assistance. The percent uncertainty in heart rate measurement can be calculated from given values, providing insight into the precision of the measurement.
Step-by-step explanation:
An accurate pulse in infants must be taken at the brachial artery for 1 full minute. This procedure is part of the Apgar score, an assessment typically performed at 1 minute after birth and again at 5 minutes after birth. The Apgar score incorporates five criteria: skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration for evaluating the newborn's physical condition following delivery. Each criterion is given a score from 0 to 2, with high scores out of a possible 10 indicating a good transition from the womb, and lower scores indicating potential distress and the possible need for medical intervention.
Heart rate is one of the most critical aspects of the Apgar score, as it can signal the need for immediate medical attention if the score is poor. A heart rate that is either too fast or too slow can be a sign of underlying problems. Resuscitation or stabilization measures may be required, especially if the overall Apgar score is less than 7 at the 5-minute mark. An overall score below 5 is considered an emergency. Normal scores are usually 8 or above, though some babies may have intermediate scores (1s) on some criteria initially, with improvements observed by the 5-minute assessment.
An infant's pulse rate might be measured as 130 ± 5 beats/min. The percent uncertainty in this measurement is determined by dividing the uncertainty (5 beats/min) by the measured value (130 beats/min) and then multiplying by 100. The resulting percentage represents the potential variation in the actual heart rate measurement.