The APGAR Scoring System

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newborn baby The APGAR Scoring System was developed by Dr. Virginia APGAR as a method of assessing the newborn’s adjustment to extrauterine life. It is taken at one minute and five minutes after birth. With depressed infants, repeat scoring every five minutes as needed. The one minute score indicates the necessity for resuscitation. The five minute score is more reliable in predicting mortality and neurologic deficits. The most important is the heart rate, then the respiratory rate, the muscle tone, reflex irritability and color follows in decreasing order. A heart rate below 100 signifies an asphyxiated baby and a heart rate above 160 signifies distress.

Assess

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1

2

HEART RATE Absent Below 100 Above 100
RESPIRATION Absent Slow Good crying
MUSCLE TONE Flaccid Some flexion Active motion
REFLEX IRRITABILITY No Response Grimace Vigorous cry
COLOR Blue all over Body pink, extremities blue Pink all over

SCORE:

  • 7-10 Good adjustment, vigorous
  • Moderately depressed infant, needs airway clearance
  • Severely depressed infant, in need of resuscitation

Source: Outline in Obstetrics, 2004 Edition by Maria Loreto J. Evangelista-Sia

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Posted by Admin on Jul 5th, 2008 and filed under Maternal & Child Health Nursing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site


1 Response for “The APGAR Scoring System”

  1. myrna says:

    the text are so small. sana po mha font size na nababasa. thank you

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