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Child sepsis case study
Child sepsis case study
Flashcards neonatal sepsis
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An NICU is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit designed to treat a variety of medical conditions for premature infants. An NICU team is made up of medical professionals with extensive newborn training that are dedicated in providing the up most quality of care to newborns. Medical professionals in the NICU may range from being Neonatal Nurse Practitioner’s to Neonatologists who specialize in treating premature infants. Newborn infants may be sent to a NICU if they were born premature, or with a birth defect. Not all newborn babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have the same medical conditions, but they may have a condition that needs thorough medical care. There are a variety of medical conditions that are treated on a daily basis in the NICU.
Anemia is a medical condition which is a decrease in the count of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to all of the body parts. Infants that are born premature are often anemic. Babies may develop Anemia for many reasons some of which are not developing enough red blood cells in the first few weeks after they are born, their red blood cells have a shorter life span than those in adults, and blood that is being taken for testing. Anemia in newborns is usually diagnosed with a Complete Blood Count (CBC). Many infants tend to have a mild form of Anemia that does not require any treatment. Infants who are anemic may stop breathing for 20 seconds or more, have a higher heart rate, and may feel sleepy. Treatments may include dietary iron supplements, and drugs that increase the production of red blood cells. Severe cases of Anemia which are caused by Hemolytic Disease in premature newborns weighing less than 2 pounds require red blood cell transfusions.
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...e placed in an isolette which are special beds that newborns have to stay in until they are able to maintain their own body heat. Slowly, medical treatments that I was given helped me become strong enough to leave the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and be able to go home with my parents.
Newborns that are premature are more susceptible to develop various medical conditions such as Anemia, Apnea, Jaundice, Sepsis, and Necrotizing Enterocolitis than those born at full term. These medical conditions have potentially serious outcomes if they are not treated properly. Infants born premature are taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to be treated by nurses that are highly skilled at treating various medical conditions. Premature newborns face many challenges but with the proper medical attention will be able to fully recover and be sent home with their family.
...lness will be taken care of. Level three neonatal nurse works in the neonatal intensive care unit admits all babies during the first 28 days of life they need more attention that babies from level 1 and 2. The babies in level 3 are mainly premature, sick, or too small for their age. They need high technology care, or surgery. The level 3 NICU may be the largest part of a hospital. They don’t require different training you just have to have a lot of experience. You will have addition duties because you have to be extremely careful and healthy. The babies will need more attention than other babies. It depends if you need it or not some people take it to be on the safe side.
This is achieved through the close relationship of the family members the pediatric patient. Safety is increased because the family members are treated as part of the health care team and not simply visitors (Moore, Coker, DuBuisson, Swett, & Edwards, 2003). Furthermore, the patients are able to communicate with personnel about what they see happening to their child as well as making decisions regarding what treatments they want their infant to receive (Moore et al., 2003). The input from the patient 's family is very important in ensuring patient safety because the family members know the patient much better than medical staff (IWK Health Centre, 2016). This allows family members to more acutely notice changes in the pediatric patients status which allows them to quickly notify health care professionals. This could prove very beneficial when providing care for a pediatric patient in intensive
meet the challenge of preparing future nurses who will have the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs) necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work” (QSEN, 2017). The six QSEN competencies include patient- centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence- based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics. Two QSEN competencies that relate to MAS are safety, and teamwork and collaboration. The nurse needs to have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding MAS to ensure the newborn’s safety. In order to keep the newborn safe, the nurse must have critical thinking skills to be able to recognize and communicate pertinent information, such as new
Nurses play a big role in supporting the parents while their child is in the NICU. Showing compassion and demonstrating caring actions when caring for the patient makes it more likely that the parents will trust the nurse and the information the nurse gives them regarding their child’s condition. This trust is important as it helps the parents feel confident in the decisions they are making about their child’s care. When the parents of an ill child in the NICU have decided to terminate treatment palliative care by the nurse and other healthcare providers comes into play. Palliative care is keeping the child comfortable by treating the symptoms and being there for the parents and child physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Eden & Callister, 2010).
Mphahlele, R. R. (2007). Caring for premature babies - a clinical guide for nurses. Professional Nursing Today, 11(1), 40-46.
Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).
Since neonatal nursing is my special interest and field, I chose to write about the health care options which are available to parents having children in different hospitals throughout the world. With the state of the art technological advances in the neonatal units, there are so many options available for the care of newborn babies. I reviewed the neonatal units in Australia, Saudi Arabia, New York, Tokyo, Ireland, and California, and I have learned what It takes to run a neonatal intensive care unit all around the world.
Kain, V. (2006). Palliative care delivery in the NICU: what barriers do neonatal nurses face?. Neonatal Network: NN, 25(6), 387-392.
Nurses today are the backbone of the medical field. The knowledge that was required to become a nurse in the past would no longer be enough in the medical field today. Nurses in today’s society have a much more extensive knowledge in practicing medicine. Doctors rely heavily on nurses for assistance with many different tasks, such as taking a patient’s blood pressure to assisting during surgery. Although a nurse can qualify to do many different jobs within the medical field, there are some who specialize in a certain area. One area of specialty that many nurses go into is neonatal nursing. A neonatal nurse is a nurse that cares for premature infants. They work in the NICU, which is short for neonatal intensive care unit, within the hospital. To become a neonatal nurse one is required to have the necessary educational background, to be able to work in a hectic environment, and also to be able to have a flexible schedule. Neonatal nursing may not be for everyone, but it is a rewarding profession.
There are many causes of anemia in the body. Some factors include genetics and deficiencies in the diet. Ms. A claims that for the past 10 – 12 years menorrhagia and dysmenorrheal have been a problem for her. Menorrhagia is abnormal and heavy menstrual bleeding during menstruation (Mayoclinic, 2013). Menorrhagia can deplete iron levels in the blood and increase the risk of an individual to have iron deficiency anemia. This is the cause of Ms. A’s anemia. Moreover, Ms. A says that she constantly takes aspirin especially in the summer to prevent stiffness in the joints. Aspirin affects and hinders the production of red blood cells (Mayoclinic, 2013). From the description of anemia given above, the lack of red blood cells, leads to low levels of iron and therefore low levels of hemoglobin which in turn affects the transportation of oxygen and thereby causing shortness of breath. Ms. A’s initial complains of shortness of breath and fatigue is the reason why she went to see the physician.
According to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, “In the United States, nearly thirteen percent of babies are born preterm, and many of these babies also have a low birth weight.” The baby may be put into the NICU for varies reasons. However, the most common reason that a child is put into the NICU is because he or she is premature. Premature means the baby was born before the 36 weeks. It is never good for a baby to be born early, as this could mean that the baby is not fully developed. There are other factors as to why a child may need to be put into the NICU after birth. For instance, birth defects can be the cause of why a baby is put into the NICU. A baby may be born with an infection such as herpes or chlamydia which can damage the newborns immune system at such a young age. Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can also cause an infant to be put into the NICU. Some maternal factors of why a baby may be put into the NICU is if the mother is “younger than 16 or older than 40.” If the parent may be an alcoholic or expose the baby to drugs, this can put the child into NICU care. If the parent has an STD or sexual transmitted disease, the baby is most likely going to have to be put into the intensive care unit. “Twins, triplets, and other multiples are often admitted into the NICU, as they tend to be born earlier and s...
I think the most important quality for a NICU nurse is thorough knowledge, or the drive to obtain more. I want to share knowledge with parents to make it easier for them to learn and know everything they can about their child’s medical condition. I can help translate between the parents and the doctor’s medical jargon to make parents feel more as ease and understand their
Umberto de Vonderweid, Marialisa Leonessa, Family centered neonatal care, Early Human Development, Volume 85, Issue 10, Supplement 1, Proceedings and selected abstracts from 1st International Conference on Clinical Neonatology Torino, Italy, November 2009, October 2009, Pages S37-S38, ISSN 0378-3782, DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2009.08.009.
The next time I walked into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was as a fourth year medical student. This time not as a spectator, but as a medical professional expec...
A neonatologist has many tasks and responsibilities before, during, and after the birth of an at-risk newborn. If there is reason to believe there are going to be complications with a birth that would cause negative side effects for the infant, a neonatologist will be brought in to help. In these high-risk situations, a team effort is required and the neonatologist takes the lead position. The neonatologist will be responsible for advising the parents on what to expect during and after labor. After the infant is born, the neonatologist has to find a method to properly care for the baby. Because most premature babies have a low birth-weight, their lungs need to be supported and they need to be kept warm. During this whole process, the neonatologist interacts with the parents to keep them updated on their baby’s condition (Weaver, 2009).