Question

The physician has ordered an injection of RhoGam for the postpartum client whose blood type is A negative but whose baby is O positive. To provide postpartum prophylaxis, RhoGam should be administered:

A. Within 72 hours of delivery
B. Within 1 week of delivery
C. Within 2 weeks of delivery
D. Within 1 month of delivery

Answer 1

RhoGam should be administered within 72 hours of delivery to a postpartum A negative mother who has delivered an O positive baby to prevent HDN in future pregnancies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The postpartum client with A negative blood type who has delivered an O positive baby should receive RhoGam to prevent the development of Rh antibodies that could lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) in subsequent pregnancies. To provide effective postpartum prophylaxis, RhoGam must be administered within 72 hours of delivery. This timeframe ensures that any fetal Rh positive erythrocytes which may have entered the maternal circulation are neutralized before the mother's immune system can react and produce antibodies against them.