NICU Exam Questions and Answers with
Verified Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
How many NICU designation 4
levels
are there?
What are the NICU designation - Level 1: well baby (newborn)
levels? - Level 2: special care nursery (moderate
illness,
respiratory support, antibiotics)
- Level 3: NICU (sustained life support, full
respiratory support, advanced imaging,
general
surgery)
- Level 4: regional NICU (complex surgical
repairs,
wide variety subspecialists, ECMO)
Who gets automatic admission to - 34.6 weeks gestational age and under
NICU? - <2,000g
- Kieser Score
What are typical admission - Respiratory distress
diagnoses? - Hypoglycemia
- Prematurity
- Perinatal depression
, What is seen for respiratory - Grunting
distress? - Tachypnea
- Pneumothorax
- PPHN
What is seen for hypoglycemia? Low blood sugar at birth or once in
mother's room
What is seen for prematurity? - Born < 32weeks
- Born <1500g
- IUGR or SGA
What is seen for perinatal - Low apgars
depression? - Requiring chest compressions
- Requires cooling
What are other diagnoses seen? - Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
- Cardiac complications
- Esophageal atresia
- Omphalocele
- Gastroschisis
- Poor feeding, cleft palate/lip
What are potential complications - Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC): bowel
after admission? death
- Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH): brain
bleed
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
- Hyperbilirubinemia
Verified Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
How many NICU designation 4
levels
are there?
What are the NICU designation - Level 1: well baby (newborn)
levels? - Level 2: special care nursery (moderate
illness,
respiratory support, antibiotics)
- Level 3: NICU (sustained life support, full
respiratory support, advanced imaging,
general
surgery)
- Level 4: regional NICU (complex surgical
repairs,
wide variety subspecialists, ECMO)
Who gets automatic admission to - 34.6 weeks gestational age and under
NICU? - <2,000g
- Kieser Score
What are typical admission - Respiratory distress
diagnoses? - Hypoglycemia
- Prematurity
- Perinatal depression
, What is seen for respiratory - Grunting
distress? - Tachypnea
- Pneumothorax
- PPHN
What is seen for hypoglycemia? Low blood sugar at birth or once in
mother's room
What is seen for prematurity? - Born < 32weeks
- Born <1500g
- IUGR or SGA
What is seen for perinatal - Low apgars
depression? - Requiring chest compressions
- Requires cooling
What are other diagnoses seen? - Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
- Cardiac complications
- Esophageal atresia
- Omphalocele
- Gastroschisis
- Poor feeding, cleft palate/lip
What are potential complications - Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC): bowel
after admission? death
- Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH): brain
bleed
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL)
- Hyperbilirubinemia
