Question

A patient is admitted to the labor and delivery unit at 40 weeks gestation. Which of the following pieces of information collected during the patient interview would be most significant in alerting the nurse to the potential for shoulder dystocia?

1) Maternal history of shoulder dystocia in previous pregnancies
2) Maternal age over 35 years
3) Maternal history of gestational diabetes
4) Maternal history of preterm labor
5) Maternal history of multiple gestation

Answer 1

Maternal history of shoulder dystocia in previous pregnancies is the most significant piece of information that would alert the nurse to the potential for shoulder dystocia.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most significant piece of information collected during the patient interview that would alert the nurse to the potential for shoulder dystocia is the maternal history of shoulder dystocia in previous pregnancies. Shoulder dystocia is a complication that occurs during childbirth when the baby's shoulder gets stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone. If a woman has experienced shoulder dystocia in a previous pregnancy, there is a higher risk of it happening again in subsequent pregnancies.