You are dispatched to a daycare center for a 5-year-old girl with trouble breathing. Upon arriving at the scene, you assess the
child and note that she is responsive to pain only, has weak intercostal retractions, and is breathing at a slow rate with shallow depth. You should: A. Administer high-flow oxygen, assess her cardiac rhythm, and establish IO access.
B. Deliver two effective rescue breaths and assess her pulse for at least 5 seconds.
C. Apply oxygen via pediatric nonrebreathing mask and attach a pulse oximeter.
D. Begin assisting her ventilations with a bag-mask device and assess her pulse rate.
Answer: D. Begin assisting her ventilations with a bag-mask device and assess her pulse rate.
Explanation: In pediatric care
A Bag-valve-mask (BVM) device is a portable resuscitator. In pediatric care, when a patient is having trouble breathing, it is of utmost importance that the clinician first establishes an airway. A BVM with hundred percent oxygen should be used during the wait before intubation.
Once this has been done, the next priority is to monitor the pulse of the child. This can be through the done by a pulse oximeter or ensuring chest motions are synchronized with breathing sounds.
