A nurse on a pediatric unit is admitting a 5-year-old child who has a submersion injury and is awake and alert. The parent asks the nurse why the child needs to stay in the facility. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

Condition Most Likely Experiencing: Bronchiolitis

The infant's symptoms—fever, cough, nasal congestion, wheezing, nasal flaring, intercostal retractions, and difficulty feeding—are characteristic of bronchiolitis, commonly caused by RSV in infants.

Actions to Take:

• Administer Oxygen via nasal cannula: The infant's low oxygen saturation (88% on room air) and respiratory distress (nasal flaring, retractions) indicate the need for supplemental oxygen to ensure adequate oxygenation and reduce respiratory distress.
• Suction nares with a bulb aspirator: Suctioning the infant’s nasal passages helps clear mucus and improve breathing. Infants with RSV often have significant nasal congestion that can impair feeding and breathing, so clearing the airways is crucial for respiratory management.

Parameters to Monitor:

• Oxygen saturation via continuous pulse oximetry: Monitoring oxygen saturation provides critical information on the infant’s respiratory status and helps assess the effectiveness of oxygen therapy.
• Respiratory effort and breath sounds: The infant is showing signs of increased respiratory effort (e.g., nasal flaring, intercostal retractions) and abnormal breath sounds (e.g., wheezes). Monitoring these parameters helps assess the severity of respiratory distress and guides further interventions.

A. Applying heat to the affected areas: In vaso-occlusive crises associated with sickle cell disease,heat packs can be a helpful part of pain management, but they should be used with caution and not in all situations.
B. Administering prophylactic antibiotics: While prophylactic antibiotics are important in preventing infections in sickle cell anemia, this is not the immediate priority during a vaso-occlusive crisis.
C. Administering the pneumococcal vaccine: While vaccination is important, it is not a priority during a vaso-occlusive crisis.
D. Promoting bed rest: The nurse should assist the child to assume a comfortable position so that the child keeps the extremities extended to promote venous return; elevate the head of the bed no more than 30 degrees and avoid putting strain on painful joints.