A staff nurse in the labor room is performing a routine initial assessment of a newborn. At what specific post-delivery intervals should the APGAR score be assessed?

1. A

   Immediately after delivery and at 10 minutes

2. B

   At 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth

3. C

   Every 15 minutes for the first hour

4. D

   At 5 minutes and 30 minutes

Appeared in: PGIMER Nursing Officer - 2025

Explanation

• APGAR score is assessed at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth for all newborns.
• These timings help evaluate immediate adaptation and response to resuscitation.
• If the 5-minute score is less than 7, further scores are taken every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes.
• Standardized intervals ensure early detection of distress and timely intervention.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: Immediate and 10-minute assessments are not the standard initial intervals. The 10-minute score is only used if the 5-minute score is low.
• Option C: Every 15 minutes for the first hour is not a recommended APGAR schedule. APGAR is not meant for such frequent, prolonged monitoring.
• Option D: 5 and 30 minutes are not the standard intervals. The 30-minute mark is not used for APGAR scoring.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Standard timing for APGAR score assessment in newborns to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Nurses must know the correct APGAR timing to ensure prompt identification of newborn distress.
• Early detection of low scores allows for immediate intervention and escalation.
• What if? If the 5-minute APGAR is less than 7, the nurse should continue scoring every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes and escalate care as needed.

How to Approach the Question

• Identify the core concept: APGAR score timing.
• Recall standard newborn assessment protocols.
• Eliminate options that do not match the standard 1 and 5 minute intervals.
• Remember that extended APGAR scoring is only for compromised infants, not routine.
• Use process-of-elimination for distractors with non-standard timings.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Standard timing for APGAR score assessment in newborns
• Stem keywords: staff nurse, labor room, initial assessment, newborn, APGAR score, post-delivery intervals
• Lead-in keywords: should, be assessed
• Clinical cues: Routine initial assessment of a newborn after delivery

Question ID

Q-JnyiDsowBnYZ-5WPMZFA

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Obstetrics Williams pp. 4, 3

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 118-120