Question

The assessment findings of a 5-year-old with a history of asthma include extreme shortness of breath, nasal flaring, coughing, pulsus paradoxus, and use of accessory respiratory muscles. There is no wheezing and the chest is silent in many areas. How should you interpret your assessment?

Answer 1

The child may be having such a severe asthma episode that the airways are closed, so start oxygen and get a doctor immediately.

Step-by-step explanation:

Asthma is the narrowing of the bronchi (channels that carry air to the lungs) that makes it difficult for air to pass, causing contractions or bronchospasm. Seizures compromise breathing, making it difficult. When the asthma attack is very severe, extreme breathlessness, nasal burning, cough, pulsus paradoxus, and use of accessory respiratory muscles may occur. This is a very serious condition and needs the patient to receive urgent medical attention. The child exposed in the question is having a serious asthma picture, so his parents need to provide oxygen and take him to a hospital as soon as possible.