The nurse is assessing heart rate for children on the pediatric ward. What is a normal finding based on developmental age?

A. "Activity will increase the respiratory rate": While activity can indeed affect respiratory rate, counting for a full minute allows for a more accurate assessment of the newborn's baseline respiratory rate, regardless of activity level.

B. "The rate and rhythm of breath are irregular in newborns": This statement reflects an understanding of why a complete minute is necessary for counting the respiratory rate in newborns. Newborns often have irregular breathing patterns, so counting for a full minute helps ensure an accurate assessment of their respiratory rate.

C. "Newborns are abdominal breathers": While newborns primarily use their diaphragm to

breathe (abdominal breathing), this fact alone does not explain why the respiratory rate should be counted for a full minute.

D. "Newborns do not expand their lungs fully with each respiration": While newborns may not fully expand their lungs with each breath, this factor is not the primary reason for counting the respiratory rate for a full minute.

A. Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis typically presents with rapid onset of severe sore throat, high fever, difficulty swallowing, and drooling due to inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis. It is a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention but is less likely to present with the described symptoms.

B. Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis commonly occurs in infants and young children, often during the winter months. It is characterized by symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, nasal congestion, fever, and

respiratory distress. The described symptoms, including coughing, nasal congestion, and intermittent fever, align with bronchiolitis.

C. Influenza

Influenza typically presents with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. While coughing and fever are common symptoms of influenza, the presence of apneic spells is less typical of influenza and more indicative of lower respiratory tract infections like bronchiolitis.

D. Croup

Croup is characterized by a barking cough, hoarseness, and respiratory distress often accompanied by stridor. While croup shares some symptoms with bronchiolitis, such as coughing, the absence of stridor in the description suggests bronchiolitis as a more likely diagnosis.