Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
Mark is a 9-year-old Hispanic boy who has come into your emergency room complaining of “chest tightness” and “difficulty breathing.” You notice that he is frequently coughing, and his lungs sound very wheezy. His chest X ray shows lungs that are overexpanded. His mom said that he had five episodes like this one over the past few years, but none this bad. Recently, he’s had 5 episodes over the previous month, each lasting about a day.
-What is the most likely diagnosis for Mark?

Question

Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
  Mark is a 9-year-old Hispanic boy who has come into your emergency room complaining of “chest tightness” and “difficulty breathing.” You notice that he is frequently coughing, and his lungs sound very wheezy. His chest X ray shows lungs that are overexpanded. His mom said that he had five episodes like this one over the past few years, but none this bad. Recently, he’s had 5 episodes over the previous month, each lasting about a day.
-What is the most likely diagnosis for Mark?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mark's symptoms (chest tightness, difficulty breathing, wheezing) in addition to his past history of similar episodes point towards a diagnosis of asthma. The overexpanded lungs on chest X-ray also support this diagnosis. Hay fever, seasonal allergy, and drug allergy may present with similar symptoms but are less likely given the clues provided in the scenario.

Please Read the Clinical Scenario, and Then Answer the Question