Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Practice Exam

What does an APGAR score of less than 3 indicate?

1. Healthy neonate

2. Minor assistance needed

3. Intensive resuscitation efforts

4. Normal respiratory function

The correct answer is: Intensive resuscitation efforts

An APGAR score of less than 3 indicates a state of significant distress in the newborn, warranting immediate medical attention and intensive resuscitation efforts. The APGAR score assesses five criteria: appearance, pulse, grimace response, activity, and respiration at one and five minutes after birth. Each criterion is scored between 0 to 2, with a total score ranging from 0 to 10. A score of less than 3 reflects critical conditions such as severe respiratory depression, poor heart rate, or a lack of response to stimuli, all of which suggest that the newborn is in urgent need of life-saving interventions. In such scenarios, healthcare providers will focus on restoring normal respiratory and cardiovascular functions to stabilize the infant's condition. Higher scores would generally indicate better health and less need for intervention. For instance, a score indicating a healthy neonate, minor assistance needed, or normal respiratory function would typically fall within the range of 7 to 10. Understanding the significance of these scores is vital for neonatal care providers in making rapid decisions to support the newborn's well-being.