Question

Chapter 40: Nursing Care of the Child With a Respiratory Disorder

1. Gloria is an 8-year-old girl who is admitted to the pediatric unit with a history of cystic fibrosis and difficulty breathing. (Learning Objectives 3, 4, and 6)

a. What would the nurse know to include in the health history?

b. When conducting a physical assessment on Gloria, what will the nurse do in relation to the child’s cystic fibrosis?

c. What tests would the nurse expect to be ordered for Gloria?

Answer 1

a. History of fever present or not , Onset of symptom (difficulty breathing), any recent risk factor, associated respiratory symptioms along with difficulty breathing, any other system symptoms, drug history

b. Physical assessment focus on observation and monitoring of respiratory pattern, work of breathing, lung auscultation, vital signs, SPO2, tolerance/ response to oxygen therapy provided.

Also monitor appetite and diet, gastrointestinal symptoms (stooling pattern anf distension). Conduct head to toe asessment to identify associated problems and evidence of growth failure

c. Chest X ray, Pulmonary function test, stool examination, sweat examination, blood culture, sputum culture