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 per minute. 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 has been 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 of the following conditions?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sudden onset of breathing difficulty in a child who was previously fine, especially while playing, strongly suggests a foreign body airway obstruction. The presence of stridor (a high-pitched sound during breathing) also supports this diagnosis.

A 911 Call Was Placed for a 3-Year-Old Child with Difficulty