The nurse is assessing a 1-month-old infant's respiratory system and sees that the infant is primarily using abdominal muscles to breathe and has an irregular breathing pattern. Which conclusion by the nurse is appropriate based on this observation?
1. The infant is experiencing respiratory distress.
2. The infant has developed pneumonia.
3. The infant is exhibiting a normal respiratory pattern.
4. The infant has developed a pneumothorax.
Correct Answer: 3
Abdominal breathing is the normal pattern for an infant and continues during childhood until ages 5-7, when the child develops costal breathing patterns. It is normal for an infant to exhibit an irregular breathing pattern. Intercostal muscle retraction and prominent sternocleidomastoids may be seen in respiratory distress. This infant is not exhibiting any signs of respiratory distress. Infants are more susceptible to pneumonia than other populations, but this infant is not exhibiting any clinical manifestations of pneumonia. A pneumothorax is a condition in which air moves into the pleural space and causes partial or complete collapse of the lung. The client with a pneumothorax will exhibit tachypnea, decreased expansion of the chest wall on the affected side, and a tracheal shift to the unaffected side.
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