Question

A woman in labor has reached a dilation of 8 cm, the nurse observes that the fetal heartbeat suddenly decreases. When performing the perineal inspection, the nurse observes that the umbilical cord has prolapsed. The first action of the nursing professional would

a. still be to place the patient in the left lateral position.

b. Place the patient in the knee-chest position. c Leave the cord out with slight pressure. d. Cover the exposed cord with a dry sterile bandage.

Answer 1

Umbilical cord prolapse is an acute obstetric emergency that requires immediate delivery of the baby. The route of delivery is usually by cesarean section. The doctor will relieve cord compression by manually elevating the fetal presentation part until cesarean section is performed. Even though these management options are not given in the question so then the most applicable management is providing adequate positioning and prepare for C section delivery, The knee-chest position, used in the management of cord prolapse.

There for,

Answer : option b. Place the patient in the knee-chest position.