Basic resuscitation: route of drugs in newborn resuscitation: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Basic resuscitation: route of drugs in newborn resuscitation

Sample item

A newborn has a heart rate of 40 per minute after 60 seconds of coordinated compressions and ventilation with 100 percent oxygen through an effective airway. What is the preferred route for adrenaline?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Intravenous via an umbilical venous catheter

Adrenaline is given when the heart rate stays below 60 per minute despite effective ventilation and compressions. The preferred route is intravenous through an umbilical venous catheter, which is quick to place in a newborn and delivers the drug to the central circulation.

Option by option

  • A. Intracardiac injection through the chest wall

    Intracardiac injection risks coronary laceration and pneumothorax and is not used.

  • B. Subcutaneous injection over the sternum

    Subcutaneous absorption is poor when peripheral perfusion is low.

  • C. Intramuscular into the anterolateral thigh

    Intramuscular absorption is slow and unreliable in a shocked infant.

  • D. Intravenous via an umbilical venous catheter (correct)

    Correct. The umbilical vein gives rapid central access in a newborn in arrest.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is D, Intravenous via an umbilical venous catheter. Adrenaline is given when the heart rate stays below 60 per minute despite effective ventilation and compressions.

Why is "Intracardiac injection through the chest wall" not the answer?

Intracardiac injection risks coronary laceration and pneumothorax and is not used.

Why is "Subcutaneous injection over the sternum" not the answer?

Subcutaneous absorption is poor when peripheral perfusion is low.

Why is "Intramuscular into the anterolateral thigh" not the answer?

Intramuscular absorption is slow and unreliable in a shocked infant.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Basic resuscitation: route of drugs in newborn resuscitation in Anaesthesia. The preferred route is intravenous through an umbilical venous catheter, which is quick to place in a newborn and delivers the drug to the central circulation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Basic resuscitation: route of drugs in newborn resuscitation?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.