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Perinatal asphyxia Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge

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Study Guide: Perinatal Asphyxia: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management

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Perinatal Asphyxia: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management Study Guide

Definition, Epidemiology, and Global Impact

Perinatal asphyxia is defined as oxygen deprivation occurring only *after* the first seven days of a newborn's life.

Answer: False

Explanation: The definition of perinatal asphyxia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), encompasses the period from the 28th week of gestation up to the first seven days following delivery, not solely after the first week.

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Perinatal asphyxia affects roughly 1 in 100 newborns born at term globally.

Answer: True

Explanation: The incidence of perinatal asphyxia is approximately 2 to 10 per 1000 newborns born at term, which translates to roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 500, aligning with the statement that it affects approximately 1 in 100 newborns.

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The world map visualization from 2002 illustrates the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate for birth asphyxia and birth trauma per 100,000 inhabitants.

Answer: True

Explanation: The visualization of the world map accurately depicts the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate for birth asphyxia and birth trauma, providing a measure of the global burden of these conditions per 100,000 population for the year 2002.

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According to a 2008 WHO bulletin, birth asphyxia accounts for approximately 10% of deaths in children under five globally.

Answer: False

Explanation: A 2008 WHO bulletin indicated that birth asphyxia accounted for approximately 38% of deaths in children under five globally, not 10%.

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In the United States, birth asphyxia is ranked among the top 5 leading causes of neonatal death.

Answer: False

Explanation: In the United States, intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia are ranked as the tenth leading cause of neonatal death, not among the top five.

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The term 'perinatal' in perinatal asphyxia refers to the period from the 28th week of gestation up to one month after birth.

Answer: False

Explanation: The 'perinatal' period, as defined in the context of perinatal asphyxia, typically spans from the 28th week of gestation up to the first seven days after birth, not one month.

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According to the WHO, what is the definition of perinatal asphyxia regarding its timing?

Answer: Oxygen deficit occurring from the 28th week of gestation up to the first seven days after birth.

Explanation: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines perinatal asphyxia as an oxygen deficit occurring from the 28th week of gestation up to the first seven days following birth.

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What is the approximate incidence of perinatal asphyxia in newborns born at term?

Answer: 2-10 per 1000 newborns

Explanation: The incidence of perinatal asphyxia in term newborns is estimated to be between 2 and 10 per 1000 births, indicating a significant but not exceedingly rare occurrence.

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Globally, what proportion of deaths in children under five were estimated to be caused by birth asphyxia in 2008?

Answer: Approximately 38%

Explanation: A 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) report indicated that birth asphyxia was responsible for approximately 38% of all deaths among children under five years of age globally.

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In the US, what is the ranking of intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia as a cause of death among newborns?

Answer: Tenth leading cause

Explanation: Intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia are documented as the tenth leading cause of mortality among newborns in the United States.

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What does the term 'perinatal' specifically refer to in the context of perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: The period from the 28th week of gestation up to seven days after birth.

Explanation: The perinatal period, in the context of perinatal asphyxia, is defined as the time frame beginning at the 28th week of gestation and extending through the first seven days of postnatal life.

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Etiology: Antepartum and Intrapartum Causes

Perinatal asphyxia causes are divided into antepartum (before labor) and postpartum (after delivery) categories.

Answer: False

Explanation: The primary etiological categorization for perinatal asphyxia is into antepartum (occurring before labor) and intrapartum (occurring during labor and delivery) causes, not postpartum.

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Maternal hypotension caused by vena cava compression is considered an antepartum cause of perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: True

Explanation: Maternal hypotension, particularly when caused by supine hypotensive syndrome (vena cava compression), can reduce placental perfusion and is classified as an antepartum cause of perinatal asphyxia.

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Prolonged labor and umbilical cord knots are examples of antepartum causes of perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: False

Explanation: Prolonged labor and umbilical cord knots are considered *intrapartum* causes of perinatal asphyxia, occurring during the labor and delivery process, rather than antepartum causes.

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Which category includes causes like maternal pneumonia or excessive anesthesia leading to low maternal blood pressure?

Answer: Antepartum causes

Explanation: Maternal conditions such as pneumonia or excessive anesthesia that lead to maternal hypotension, thereby compromising fetal oxygen supply, are classified as antepartum causes of perinatal asphyxia.

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Which of the following is an example of an *intrapartum* cause of perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Umbilical cord knot

Explanation: An umbilical cord knot is a physical complication that occurs during labor and delivery (intrapartum), potentially obstructing blood flow and leading to asphyxia.

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Risk Factors and Associated Conditions

Advanced maternal age and the presence of meconium in amniotic fluid are considered risk factors for perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: True

Explanation: Advanced maternal age and the presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid are recognized maternal and pregnancy-related risk factors that can increase the likelihood of perinatal asphyxia.

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The ICD-10 code for perinatal asphyxia is 768.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ICD-10 code for perinatal asphyxia is P21. The code 768 is associated with ICD-9-CM classification.

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Perinatal asphyxia is primarily managed under the fields of Dermatology and Ophthalmology.

Answer: False

Explanation: Perinatal asphyxia is primarily managed within the fields of Pediatrics and Obstetrics, focusing on neonatal care and the management of pregnancy and childbirth complications.

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Nuchal cord refers to a condition where the umbilical cord is wrapped around the infant's neck.

Answer: True

Explanation: A nuchal cord is a common obstetric finding where the umbilical cord encircles the fetal neck during gestation or delivery.

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Meconium aspiration syndrome is a respiratory condition that can affect newborns due to inhaling meconium during labor.

Answer: True

Explanation: Meconium aspiration syndrome occurs when a newborn inhales meconium (fetal stool) into the lungs before, during, or immediately after birth, leading to respiratory distress.

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Which factor is identified as a maternal or pregnancy-related risk factor for perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Twin births

Explanation: Multiple births, such as twin pregnancies, are recognized as a risk factor for perinatal asphyxia due to increased potential for complications during labor and delivery.

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What is the ICD-10 code used for perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: P21

Explanation: The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code for perinatal asphyxia is P21. P21.0 specifically refers to birth asphyxia with mild or moderate respiratory distress.

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Which medical specialty primarily deals with the health of infants and children, including conditions like perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Pediatrics

Explanation: Pediatrics is the branch of medicine concerned with the health of infants, children, and adolescents, making it the primary specialty involved in managing conditions like perinatal asphyxia and its sequelae.

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What is chignon, a type of birth trauma affecting the scalp?

Answer: A scalp swelling caused by pressure during birth.

Explanation: Chignon is a superficial scalp swelling that can occur on a newborn's head due to pressure exerted by the birth process, typically from a vacuum extractor or prolonged labor.

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Which of the following hematologic conditions is related to blood group incompatibilities between mother and infant?

Answer: Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)

Explanation: Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) arises from maternal antibodies crossing the placenta and causing destruction of fetal red blood cells, typically due to Rh or ABO blood group incompatibility.

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What is ileus, a gastrointestinal issue that can affect newborns?

Answer: Intestinal obstruction.

Explanation: Ileus refers to a condition where there is a lack of intestinal motility, leading to a functional obstruction or paralysis of the bowel, which can occur in newborns due to various factors including perinatal stress.

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Clinical Presentation and Diagnostic Criteria

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a metabolic acidosis with a pH greater than 7.20 as a key diagnostic criterion for perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: False

Explanation: The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies a profound metabolic acidosis with an umbilical cord arterial blood pH *less than* 7.20 as a critical diagnostic criterion for perinatal asphyxia, not a pH greater than 7.20.

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A key clinical sign of severe perinatal asphyxia is robust respiratory effort and a pink skin color immediately after birth.

Answer: False

Explanation: Severe perinatal asphyxia is typically characterized by diminished muscle tone, poor responsiveness, weak or absent respiratory effort, and cyanosis (poor skin color), not robust respiratory effort and pink skin.

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A low Apgar score at the 1-minute mark is the primary diagnostic criterion for perinatal asphyxia according to the WHO.

Answer: False

Explanation: While Apgar scores are important indicators, the WHO identifies a low Apgar score of 3 or lower specifically at the *5-minute* mark, along with other criteria like metabolic acidosis and neurological signs, as key diagnostic indicators for perinatal asphyxia.

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Which of the following is NOT listed as a key diagnostic criterion for perinatal asphyxia by the WHO?

Answer: Umbilical cord arterial blood pH greater than 7.20.

Explanation: The WHO criteria for perinatal asphyxia include a metabolic acidosis with a pH *less than* 7.20, not greater than 7.20. The other options listed are indeed key diagnostic criteria.

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What is a primary characteristic observed in infants suffering from severe perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Diminished muscle tone and cyanosis (poor skin color).

Explanation: Severe perinatal asphyxia typically manifests with signs of central nervous system depression, including diminished muscle tone (hypotonia) and inadequate oxygenation leading to cyanosis.

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Pathophysiology and Organ System Effects (Focus on Brain)

Brain damage is the least concerning organ damage resulting from perinatal asphyxia because it typically recovers fully.

Answer: False

Explanation: Brain damage is the *most* concerning organ damage resulting from perinatal asphyxia due to its potential for severe and long-lasting neurological deficits, which often do not resolve fully.

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Infants surviving severe perinatal asphyxia may experience long-term neurological issues like developmental delays or spasticity.

Answer: True

Explanation: Severe perinatal asphyxia can lead to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, resulting in persistent neurological sequelae such as developmental delays, intellectual disability, and motor impairments like spasticity.

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Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition that can be caused by perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: True

Explanation: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a clinical syndrome characterized by impaired neurological function following a period of oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) and reduced blood flow (ischemia) to the brain, which is precisely the mechanism of perinatal asphyxia.

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Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition involving brain damage due to insufficient oxygen and reduced blood flow.

Answer: True

Explanation: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is precisely defined as brain damage resulting from a combination of insufficient oxygen supply (hypoxia) and inadequate blood flow (ischemia) to the brain.

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Which organ's damage is considered the most significant concern in perinatal asphyxia due to potential long-lasting consequences?

Answer: Brain

Explanation: While perinatal asphyxia can affect multiple organs, damage to the brain is of paramount concern due to its potential for severe, long-term neurological deficits and functional impairments.

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Which of the following conditions can be a direct consequence that perinatal asphyxia can lead to?

Answer: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH)

Explanation: Perinatal asphyxia can precipitate or exacerbate conditions such as intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), particularly in premature infants, due to compromised cerebral blood flow regulation.

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Which of the following is a potential long-term neurological consequence of severe perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Intellectual disability

Explanation: Severe perinatal asphyxia can result in hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, which may lead to long-term neurological consequences including intellectual disability, developmental delays, and motor impairments.

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What does the acronym HIE stand for in relation to perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Explanation: HIE is an acronym for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, a condition characterized by brain damage resulting from a lack of oxygen and blood flow, often caused by perinatal asphyxia.

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Which condition involves bleeding within the brain's ventricles, particularly in premature infants, and can be caused by perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH)

Explanation: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is bleeding into the fluid-filled spaces (ventricles) of the brain, a condition that can be triggered or exacerbated by the hemodynamic instability associated with perinatal asphyxia.

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Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain injury associated with the perinatal period, characterized by damage to what specific brain tissue?

Answer: White matter near the ventricles

Explanation: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a form of white matter injury in the brain, specifically affecting the regions adjacent to the lateral ventricles, and is particularly common in premature infants.

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Management and Resuscitation Protocols

Current international guidelines for newborn resuscitation recommend using 100% oxygen, as research has shown it minimizes reperfusion injury.

Answer: False

Explanation: Current international guidelines, particularly those updated around 2010, recommend using normal air rather than 100% oxygen for most newborn resuscitations. This shift is based on research indicating that high oxygen concentrations may exacerbate reperfusion injury by generating harmful oxygen free radicals.

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The 2010 international guidelines on newborn resuscitation were influenced by research suggesting potential harm from high oxygen concentrations.

Answer: True

Explanation: Research highlighting the potential for high oxygen concentrations to cause harm, such as increased oxidative stress and reperfusion injury, significantly influenced the revision of international guidelines for newborn resuscitation around 2010.

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The ABCDE acronym in perinatal asphyxia treatment refers to Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Dehydration, and Examination.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ABCDE acronym in perinatal asphyxia management stands for Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Drugs, and Evaluation/Exposure, not Dehydration and Examination.

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Chest compressions are part of the 'C' (Circulation) step in treating perinatal asphyxia.

Answer: True

Explanation: In the structured approach to perinatal asphyxia management, chest compressions are indeed a critical intervention under the 'C' for Circulation step, employed when initial resuscitation measures are insufficient to establish adequate blood flow.

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Why has the debate regarding oxygen concentration used during newborn resuscitation emerged?

Answer: High oxygen concentrations may cause harmful oxygen free radicals and reperfusion injury.

Explanation: The debate stems from research suggesting that high concentrations of oxygen during resuscitation can generate harmful reactive oxygen species, potentially exacerbating reperfusion injury to tissues already compromised by hypoxia.

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What change did the 2010 international guidelines on newborn resuscitation recommend based on recent research?

Answer: Use normal air instead of 100% oxygen for most newborns.

Explanation: The 2010 international guidelines shifted recommendations towards using normal air (21% oxygen) as the initial resuscitation gas for most newborns, moving away from the previous standard of 100% oxygen.

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In the ABCDE approach to treating perinatal asphyxia, what does 'D' stand for?

Answer: Drugs

Explanation: In the ABCDE mnemonic for neonatal resuscitation, 'D' represents the administration of necessary Drugs, such as epinephrine, if indicated.

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Therapeutic Interventions (e.g., Hypothermia)

Hypothermia therapy is used to *increase* the infant's body temperature after perinatal asphyxia to promote healing.

Answer: False

Explanation: Hypothermia therapy, a treatment for perinatal asphyxia, involves *cooling* the infant's body to a specific temperature, not increasing it, to mitigate brain injury.

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What is the primary goal of hypothermia therapy in managing perinatal asphyxia?

Answer: To reduce the extent of brain injury by cooling the infant.

Explanation: Therapeutic hypothermia is employed to mitigate secondary brain injury following perinatal asphyxia by reducing metabolic demand, inflammation, and excitotoxicity in the brain.

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Medicolegal Considerations and Controversies

The diagnosis of birth asphyxia is straightforward and universally agreed upon, eliminating controversy in medicolegal contexts.

Answer: False

Explanation: The diagnosis of birth asphyxia is often complex and subject to considerable controversy, particularly in medicolegal settings, due to ambiguities in diagnostic criteria and the potential for disputes regarding causation and care.

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Plaintiff's attorneys generally view birth asphyxia as an unavoidable consequence of difficult births.

Answer: False

Explanation: Plaintiff's attorneys often contend that birth asphyxia is frequently preventable and potentially linked to substandard care, rather than viewing it as an unavoidable consequence.

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The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) agrees with plaintiff's attorneys that birth asphyxia is the most common cause of cerebral palsy.

Answer: False

Explanation: The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) disputes the assertion that birth asphyxia is the most common cause of cerebral palsy, associating such conditions more frequently with pre-birth circumstances rather than intrapartum events.

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Why is the diagnosis of 'birth asphyxia' often avoided in modern medicolegal contexts?

Answer: It is frequently controversial due to ambiguity and potential for disputes over care.

Explanation: The term 'birth asphyxia' is often avoided in medicolegal contexts due to its inherent ambiguity, the difficulty in definitively proving causation, and the potential for extensive disputes regarding medical care and outcomes.

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How do plaintiff's attorneys often characterize birth asphyxia in legal arguments?

Answer: As frequently preventable and potentially linked to substandard care.

Explanation: In legal contexts, plaintiff's attorneys frequently argue that birth asphyxia and its resultant conditions are often preventable and may stem from deviations from the standard of care.

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Which of the following is cited as a reason for the controversy surrounding the diagnosis of birth asphyxia?

Answer: Ambiguity and medicolegal implications.

Explanation: The diagnosis of birth asphyxia is often debated due to its inherent ambiguity and the significant medicolegal implications, making definitive attribution challenging.

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What is the primary difference in perspective between plaintiff's attorneys and ACOG regarding the causes of conditions like cerebral palsy?

Answer: Attorneys emphasize preventable birth factors, while ACOG links it more to pre-birth circumstances.

Explanation: Plaintiff's attorneys often highlight preventable intrapartum events as causes of conditions like cerebral palsy, whereas ACOG tends to attribute such conditions more frequently to factors arising prior to labor and delivery.

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