Pediatric respiratory distress
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Pediatricshigh priorityneeds review
Pediatric respiratory distress
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Infection, asthma, foreign body, congenital issue, or airway swelling.
- Children compensate until they tire, then decline quickly.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Bronchodilators | May be used for bronchospasm causes. |
Nursing actions
- Assess work of breathing, retractions, nasal flaring, grunting, stridor, and color.
- Keep child calm and position of comfort.
- Escalate silent chest, drooling/stridor, cyanosis, or exhaustion.
Complications
- Respiratory failure
- Hypoxia
- Cardiac arrest
NCLEX cues
- Restlessness can be early hypoxia.
- Bradycardia is late in pediatric respiratory failure.
Memory hooks
- Kids breathe fast before they crash.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.