Apgar score: evolution and challenges of a clinical tool
10.3760/cma.j.cn113903-20240412-00283
- VernacularTitle:阿普加评分：临床工具的演变与挑战
- Author:
Xun ZHOU
1
;
Wenpei TANG
Author Information
1. 北京大学医学人文学院，北京 100191
- Keywords:
Apgar score;
Newborn assessment;
Clinical tool;
Neonatal medicine
- From:
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine
2024;27(8):698-703
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This paper delves into the evolution of the Apgar score, a globally utilized clinical tool in medical practice, and the debates and challenges it faced across different historical periods. In the 1950s, Virginia Apgar innovatively introduced a new method for assessing newborns based on five clinical indicators: heart rate, respiratory effort, response to stimulation, muscle tone, and skin color. Subsequently, her research team focused on improving and perfecting the scoring system. The Apgar score has been widely used to diagnose the presence and severity of asphyxia in newborns, evaluate the need for and the effectiveness of resuscitation, and predict adverse outcomes in newborns. Since the 1980s, the medical field has continuously emphasized on preventing misuse and overuse of the Apgar score, during which its applicability and predictive value have become more and more clarified.
