NURS 4832L NURSING CARE OF CHILDREN

NICU CASE STUDY

______________________________________________________________________________

Choose any premature infant in the NICU. Review the infant’s medical record
and answer the following:
Infant’s Initials: _B.R._________________ Sex: __Male______________
Medical Dx: Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome Birth Date: 09/28/22
Gestation al age at birth: _29 weeks_ Today’s age: _148 Days___
Apgar’s scores: (1 min. 5 min.) ___10____
Vital signs: HR: 135, RR: 28, Temp: 35.7*C, SpO2: 97%
Type of bed: open bed isolate radiant warmer
Temperature control: no
Oxygen: yes (if yes, state % and method of delivery) CPAP 13% binasal prong
Nutrition: (amount/ type/ route/ frequency) NG Tube 1,000ml/hour q3 hr
Medications: (name, dose, route, action, recommended dose, side effects, and
reason for use)
-Diuril; 10mg/kg bid; NG tube; to aid in urinating routinely; rec: 10-20mg/kg bid;
SE: fever, chills, bleeding and bruising, trouble breathing and swallowing; the
patient is taking this medication because he only has one kidney
-Sodium Chloride: 3meQ/kg/day; IV; to balance electrolytes; 2-5meQ/kg/day IV;
fever, chills, edema, erythema, the patient is taking this medication to regulate his
electrolytes since he is also taking Diuril
-Melatonin: 0.5mg at night; NG tube; to aid in sleeping and regulating sleep
cycles; rec: 0.5-1mg; interrupted sleep cycles, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea; the
patient is given this medication because he has a lot of trouble sleeping at night
-Multivitamin; NG tube; to aid in growth and development; nausea and vomiting
and constipation
-Liquid Protein; 1.6mL; NG tube; aids in growth and development; SE: increased
BM, reduced appetite, fatigue, thirst, bloating; he takes it to help him grow and to
help develop his lungs
Treatments: (include rationale for each treatment)
-Vital signs q3 hours
-1:1 care (pt. is not in critical condition but recognizes and gets upset when he’s
alone because he is older than most of the other NICU babies)
-continuous pulse ox
-CPAP machine for oxygen therapy since he was born before his lungs were fully
developed
Define prematurity. Identify 3 major risks of the premature infant. Discuss the
role of the nurse in the NICU. Reflect on your clinical experience in the NICU.
Prematurity is when a baby is born before 37 weeks. The premature infants are at
higher risk for infection, they are more likely to have asthma and generalized
breathing problems, and they are more likely to have feeding problems. My
clinical experience in the NICU was unforgettable, I loved it. I didn’t realize the
patient ratios are 1:1 or 1:2, but I loved that the nurses were able to stay with the
same baby or travel between the same two, that way the babies weren’t left
alone too long and they had comfort throughout the entire day, even when their
families couldn’t be there.