Newborn jaundice
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Newborn jaundice
Also testable as: Hyperbilirubinemia, Physiologic jaundice, Pathologic jaundice
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.
Signs / symptoms
- Jaundice in first 24 hours is pathologic until proven otherwise.
- Lethargy/poor feeding/high-pitched cry is priority.
- Phototherapy increases stooling/fluid needs.
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.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Condition card for Newborn jaundice: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Administration of blood products such as packed RBCs, platelets, plasma, or cryoprecipitate.
Red blood cells break apart faster than expected.
Brain injury from very high bilirubin in a newborn.
Removal and replacement of newborn blood in severe hyperbilirubinemia or selected hemolytic disease.
Light treatment that helps break down bilirubin in newborn jaundice.