![]() Ask about the history of the problem, including when it began its location, quality, severity, and timing (frequency) whether it has changed or progressed (and if so, how) and what makes the symptom better or worse.īe sure to use a stethoscope with a smaller bell and diaphragm than an adult stethoscope-especially for an infant or toddler. Try to get an older child or adolescent to describe the symptom or concern in his or her own words. Ask open-ended questions to help elicit a full description of the problem. With a child who’s too young to provide a medical history or describe symptoms, direct your questions to the parent or other accompanying adult. One way to gauge cognitive status is to maintain a steady dialogue during the exam. Gear your respiratory assessment not just to the child’s age and size but also to cognitive and functional status. ![]() A child’s chest has cartilaginous structures that increase lung compliance (and also promote cooperation during auscultation).Children have thinner chest walls than adults and therefore louder breath sounds.Infants and children have abnormally large tongues, which can cause airway obstruction.(See Common respiratory disorders in children in pdf format available by clicking download now.) Because of increased airway resistance and nasal breathing, children are at high risk for airway obstruction, even with minimal amounts of mucus or edema.Infants and children have smaller airways than adults, leading to increased airway resistance, which manifests as a rapid respiratory rate.A child’s diaphragm is flatter than an adult’s.Children breathe mainly through the nose until about age 4 weeks (or in some cases, up to several months).They also experience periodic breathing, marked by episodes of rapid breathing and apnea, which may lead to hypoxia. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |