Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
Speaker:
Karen D’Apolito, PhD, NNP-BC, FAAN
Director, Neonatal NP Specialty
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Nashville, TN
Part 1: Assessment of Infants with
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
Description
Drug use among pregnant women can lead to problems in the developing fetus including congenital anomalies, problems with growth, preterm labor, withdrawal or toxicity in the newborn, and later problems with neuro-development. One of the most readily apparent problems created by in utero exposure to drugs is neonatal abstinence syndrome. This presentation will discuss the definition of NAS, the drugs that may cause signs of neonatal abstinence, screening methods and the use of the Finnegan scoring tool to assess the severity of withdrawal signs and the importance of being reliable when scoring.
Learning Objectives:
After the completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:
Part 2: Management of Neonatal Abstinence
Syndrome (NAS): Therapeutic Interventions
Description
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) can be potentially severe and cause long hospital stays. Pharmacological interventions are commonly used as treatment and their safety and efficacy is continuing to be studied. Non-pharmacologic interventions and complementary therapies have also been documented. This presentation will discuss the pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic goals of treating infants with NAS. There will also be a discussion of the most common drugs used to manage signs of withdrawal and two different strategies, weight based vs sign based, to determine when pharmacologic treatment is needed. Additionally, nurse-driven interventions including swaddling, kangaroo care, low stimuli and breastfeeding will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
After the completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:
Continuing Education for Nurses
& Respiratory Therapists
This education activity is approved for 1.0 Non-Traditional contact hours. Provider approved by California Board of Nursing, Provider # 14477 and the Florida Board of Nursing Provider # 50-17032
This program has been approved for 1.0 Non-Traditional contact hours Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credit by the American Association for Respiratory Care, 9425 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 100, Irving TX 75063
Supported By Philips Healthcare