Pre-Test 1 and 2: Introduction to Special Questions Based on Official NCLEX-RN[®]
49. A 44-year-old client has just found out that she is pregnant. The client knows that she is at a higher risk for carrying a fetus with a chromosomal abnormality. Which genetic test for chromosomal abnormalities should a nurse recommend to provide the client with chromosomal results within the first trimester?
Test-Taking Tip
There is a difference between diagnostic and screening tests. Screening tests are clues to possible problems, but diagnostic tests provide absolute information to make a specific diagnosis. Ultrasound is an example of a screening test, and should be eliminated when the question is asking for a diagnostic test.
Content Area: Maternity, Antepartum; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Implementation; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Physiological Integrity/Reduction of Risk Potential/Diagnostic Tests
Pre-Test 1 and 2: Introduction to Special Questions Based on Official NCLEX-RN[®]
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Answer 1 is incorrect because genetic karyotyping is the name of the general test done for analysis of chromosomes; it is not a specific diagnostic test. Answer 2 is incorrect because amniocentesis cannot be performed until after the first trimester. Answer 3 is correct because chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can be performed as early as about 9 weeks' gestation, providing information before the end of the first trimester. Answer 4 is incorrect because ultrasonography cannot provide diagnostic chromosomal information; it can only provide general screening for abnormalities.
