Pharmacology and Med Administration Flashcard 1

C. Rationale: The umbilical vein in neonates is the most rapidly accessible route for intravenous cannulation.

B. Rationale: To accurately give the correct dose of epinephrine to the newborn, a 3-way stopcock is utilized.

C. Rationale: Surfactant should be considered in preterm patients < 30 weeks gestational age.

B. Rationale: The calculation for the epinephrine dose is 0.02 mg per kg. Hence, a 2.5 kg newborn will need 0.05 mg of epinephrine.

D. Rationale: Antenatal administration of corticosteroids and surfactant is a viable option to prevent or minimize respiratory distress syndrome if preterm labor is expected. Surfactant is responsible for increasing lung compliance and can help the preterm if given at or shortly after delivery. In addition, antenatal corticosteroid administration influences the production of surfactant by the alveoli in the preterm infant. Antenatal corticosteroids also accelerate intrauterine lung growth.

C. Rationale: The medullary sinusoid of the large bones has direct access to the venous system, which is comparable to intravenous access. Therefore, there is no need to adjust medications during resuscitation when the IO route of administration is selected.

D. Rationale: Treating newborns for opioid overdose secondary to maternal opioid overdose is not recommended because animal studies have shown side effects to the newborn, such as seizures, cardiac arrest, and edema. These patients are best treated with ventilatory support.

D. Rationale: Intravenous and intraosseous routes are the preferred routes for administering epinephrine. It is optional to give epinephrine via the endotracheal route only if either the team is still in the process of gaining access through the umbilical vein or obtaining access through the intraosseous route.

B. Rationale: It is the sympathomimetic ability of epinephrine that causes it to activate the alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors in the heart. At the correct dose, it has positive inotropic and chronotropic effects, and it even causes systemic vasoconstriction. All of these are necessary to divert blood flow to the myocardium.

D. Rationale: The preferred route of administration, especially during severe hypovolemic shock, is through an umbilical venous catheter or an IO needle.