A nurse is assessing a child who was recently adopted from a foreign country and has not yet received any immunizations. The child has a high fever, rhinitis, and sore throat: The nurse also notes small, irregular, bright red spots with a blue-white center on the buccal membrane. What would the nurse suspect?

A. Teaching the child to take long, slow breaths:

While teaching slow breathing techniques can be helpful in managing anxiety and promoting a sense of calm, it may not directly address the underlying airway inflammation and bronchodilation needed in acute laryngotracheobronchitis.

B. Assisting with racemic epinephrine nebulizer therapy:

Racemic epinephrine is a medication that contains epinephrine, a bronchodilator. Nebulizer therapy with racemic epinephrine helps reduce airway inflammation, allowing for bronchodilation and improved breathing. This is a common intervention for managing acute respiratory distress in conditions like croup.

C. Administering an oral analgesic:

Oral analgesics, such as pain medications, can provide relief from discomfort or pain, but they do not directly address the bronchodilation needed for conditions like acute laryngotracheobronchitis.

D. Administering a corticosteroid:

Corticosteroids have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce swelling and inflammation in the airways. By doing so, they contribute to bronchodilation and improved breathing in conditions like croup. Corticosteroids are often used as part of the treatment plan for acute laryngotracheobronchitis.

A.While cystic fibrosis is characterized by a high concentration of sodium chloride in sweat due to defective chloride channels, this is not the cause of the barrel chest and clubbing of the fingers.

B.The barrel chest and clubbing of the fingers are often seen in children with cystic fibrosis due to chronic hypoxia (lack of oxygen). Chronic lung infections, airway obstruction, and respiratory insufficiency associated with cystic fibrosis lead to prolonged low oxygen levels, which can result in these physical changes.

C.Decreased respiratory capacity, often due to the chronic respiratory issues associated with cystic fibrosis, can result in a barrel chest (increased chest diameter due to air trapping) and clubbing of the fingers (a sign of chronic hypoxia).

D.Decreased respiratory capacity (due to thick mucus and airway obstruction) does contribute to chronic respiratory issues in cystic fibrosis, but the direct cause of the barrel chest and clubbing is the chronic lack of oxygen (hypoxia) rather than decreased capacity alone. The changes in the chest and fingers are a result of prolonged oxygen deprivation.