The parents bring their 3-year-old son to the emergency department after he ingested some of his mother's medicine. Which assessment would be of critical importance for this child?
A) Assessing mental status and skin moisture and color
B) Evaluating the effectiveness of the child's breathing
C) Noting the child's pulse rate and quality
D) Auscultating all lung fields for signs of edema
Ans: A
In cases of poisoning, clinical manifestations vary widely depending on the medication or chemical ingested. Therefore, it is important to pay particular attention to the child's mental status, skin moisture and color, and bowel sounds. Evaluating the effectiveness of the child's breathing and noting the child's pulse rate and quality are basic to any rapid cardiopulmonary assessment. Auscultating all lung fields for signs of pulmonary edema would be critically important for a child who is a near-drowning victim.
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