A pregnant patient asks the nurse, "What is this 'knuckle test‘ that is supposed to tell whether my baby has a genetic problem?" The nurse correctly explains that:

Question

1. "The term is nuchal, and it refers to the neck. The test is a special ultrasound that measures the thickness of the back of the baby's neck."
2. "You will need to ask the physician for an explanation."
3. "It tests for Down syndrome."
4. It tests for neural tube defects."

Answer 1

1
Rationale 1: Nuchal translucency detects fetal chromosome anomalies, including trisomy 21, 18, and 13, and Turner's syndrome. The test measures the thickness of the tissue over the posterior of the baby's neck.
Rationale 2: This is not an appropriate response. The nurse must be aware of laboratory tests performed during pregnancy to intelligently answer patients' questions.
Rationale 3: The triple or quadruple screen detects increased risk for trisomy 21, or Down syndrome.
Rationale 4: The triple or quadruple screen detects increased risk for neural tube defect.