A 911 call was placed for a 3-year-old child with difficulty breathing. On scene, you note that the child is upright with slight
stridor upon inspiration. He is alert and breathing at a rate of 30 breaths/min. His skin is warm and dry, and his radial pulse strong and regular. His breath sounds are clear and equal. His mother states that he was fine all day until 15 minutes ago, when he was playing with friends in the playroom and suddenly started having difficulty breathing. As an EMT, you should suspect which condition a. Foreign body airway obstructionb. Epiglottisc. Bronchial asthmad. Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis)
Foreign body airway obstruction may be defined as the medical condition in which the breathing tube is completely or partially blocked due to the foreign substances. The cough develops suddenly in this condition.
The child has difficulty in breathing means that his breathing tube shows blockage. This has happened suddenly when he was playing with friends. The foreign substance present in air has entered in the body and causes difficulty in breathing. Hence, this describes the condition of foreign body airway obstruction.
