apgar score

Ap·gar score   (āp'gär)    n.  A system of assessing the general physical condition of a newborn infant based on a rating of 0, 1, or 2 for five criteria: heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, skin color, and response to stimuli. The five scores are added together, with a perfect score being 10. [After Virginia Apgar (1909-1974), American physician.]

Main Entry: Ap·gar score
Pronunciation: 'ap-"gär-'skO(&)r, -'sko(&)r
Function: noun
: an index used to evaluate the condition of anewborn infant based on a rating of 0, 1, or 2 for each of the five characteristics of color, heart rate, response to stimulation of the sole of the foot, muscle tone, and respiration with 10 being aperfect score
Apgar, Virginia (1909–1974) American physician. Apgar began her medical career as an anesthesiologist and was for many years an attending anesthesiologist.As a result of her duties in the hospital delivery room, she developed a concern for the lack of immediate medical attention given the newborn. To rectify the situation she developed the Apgar score asa simple, quick test to determine the need for emergency treatment. The test soon became a standard procedure in hospitals all over the world. Turning to the study of congenital anomalies, Apgar becamean authority on teratology and proper prenatal care.

Apgar score Ap·gar score (āp'gär)
n.
A system of evaluating a newborn's physical condition by assigning a value (0, 1, or 2) to each of five criteria: heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, response to stimuli, and skin color.

Apgar score   (āp'gär)  Pronunciation Key  A score that assesses the general physical condition of a newborn infant by assigning a value of 0, 1, or 2 to each of five criteria: heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, skin color, and response to stimuli. The five scores are added together, with a perfect score being 10. Apgar scores are usually evaluated at one minute and five minutes after birth. The Apgar score is named for the system's deviser, American physician Virginia Apgar (1909-1974).