Maternity Nursing Q 85

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Five hours after birth, a neonate is transferred to the nursery, where the nurse intervenes to prevent hypothermia. What is a common source of radiant heat loss?

  

     A. Low room humidity

     B. Cold weight scale

     C. Cool incubator walls

     D. Cool room temperature

    

    

Correct Answer: C. Cools incubator walls

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A common source of radiant heat loss includes cool incubator walls and windows. Radiant heat loss constitutes the transfer of heat from an infant’s warm skin, via infrared electromagnetic waves, to the cooler surrounding walls that absorb heat.

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Option A: Low room humidity promotes evaporative heat loss. Evaporative heat loss occurs through the skin and the respiratory system. The driving force behind evaporation is the vapor pressure difference between the body surface and the environment.

Option B: When the skin directly contacts a cooler object, such as a cold weight scale, conductive heat loss may occur. Heat loss can occur by conduction of heat from the skin to the layer of still air around the body.

Option D: A cool room temperature may lead to convective heat loss. Convective heat loss is the transfer of heat from a body to moving molecules such as air or liquid.

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