Question

You are working in ED today and have been called to assess a 5 y/o child that is here with respiratory distress. You enter the room to find the child sitting up and leaning over his bedside table with suprasternal and intercostal retractions. The child can answer your questions but is only saying a few words at a time. His color is not good. What diagnostics would you perform on this child to get a clear picture of what is causing his distress? Explain what you are looking for with each diagnostic test.

Answer 1

Respiratory distress syndrome is a breathing disorder.It is caused by diffuse lung injury and leads to extravascular fluid and in newborn it is occured dimue to lack of surfactants.

The diagnostic test used in this syndrome as follows:

1.Physical examinatin :it includes history collection,appearance ,color and so on

2.Chest x ray:It shows bilateral interstitial and alveolar infiltrates;,interstitial edema may not be noted until there is 30%increase in fluid content.

3.Arterial blood gas:The ABG levels identifies respiratory acidosis and hypoxiemia that do not respond to an increased percentage of oxygen.

4.Pulmonary function test:Test used to evaluate lung mechanism,gas exchange and acid-base disturbance .