Newborn jaundice

Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.

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OB / NewbornPediatricsGI / Liver / Pancreashigh priorityneeds review

Newborn jaundice

Also testable as: Hyperbilirubinemia, Physiologic jaundice, Pathologic jaundice

Practice

Etiology / Pathophysiology

  • Bilirubin rises from immature liver processing, blood group incompatibility, bruising, poor feeding, prematurity, or disease.
  • Unconjugated bilirubin can accumulate and cross into brain tissue at high levels.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

  • Assess timing, skin/sclera color, feeding, stools/urine, weight loss, lethargy, and risk factors.
  • Monitor bilirubin levels by age in hours and prepare phototherapy or exchange transfusion pathway if ordered.
  • Teach feeding support, eye protection during phototherapy, and follow-up bilirubin checks.

Complications

  • Acute bilirubin encephalopathy
  • Kernicterus
  • Dehydration
  • Poor feeding

NCLEX cues

  • Jaundice in first 24 hours is pathologic until proven otherwise.
  • Lethargy/poor feeding/high-pitched cry is priority.
  • Phototherapy increases stooling/fluid needs.

Memory hooks

  • Bilirubin is brain-toxic when too high.

Labs / Diagnostics

  • Transcutaneous/serum bilirubin
  • Blood type/Coombs
  • Hemoglobin/hematocrit
  • Weight and feeding logs

Review notes

  • Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.

Drive Pack cross references

Newborn jaundiceCondition