A mother rushes her toddler into the emergency department stating, "My baby can't breathe." Initial assessment reveals the child is struggling to breathe in an upright position

Question

He has both inspiratory and expiratory stridor and is using his chest muscles to breath. The nurse suspects the child has which of the following acute respiratory infections?
A) Croup
B) Asthma
C) Epiglottitis
D) Bronchiolitis

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback:
Epiglottitis typically presents with an acute onset of sore throat and fever. The child appears pale, toxic, and lethargic and assumes a distinctive position—sitting up with the mouth open and the chin thrust forward. Symptoms rapidly progress to difficulty swallowing, a muffled voice, drooling, and extreme anxiety. Moderate to severe respiratory distress is evident. There are inspiratory and sometimes expiratory stridor, flaring of the nares, and inspiratory muscle retractions. Croup or acute laryngotracheobronchitis is a viral infection that affects the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Acute bronchiolitis is a viral infection of the lower airways, most commonly caused by the respiratory syncytial virus. Asthma is a reactive airway disease rather than an infection.