A 13-Day-Old Infant Is Suffering from Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

A 13-day-old infant is suffering from bronchopulmonary dysplasia. His family, along with a home health nurse, called 911 after the child's oxygen saturation began to fluctuate. The home health nurse reports that although the baby is on a ventilator, the nurse has been weaning him to lower intermittent mandatory ventilation settings. The child has a heart rate of 160 bpm and is ventilator dependent with an SpO₂ of 86%. Lung sounds reveal crackles and rhonchi in the left lung; the child is hot to the touch and has cyanotic extremities and central mottling. You suspect:

A) pneumothorax secondary to bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
B) aspiration secondary to ventilator usage.
C) sepsis secondary to lower respiratory infection.
D) barotrauma secondary to high ventilator pressure settings.