Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 84%
Full-length
The nurse is caring for a client with an exacerbation of asthma following a viral respiratory illness. When collecting data, the nurse expects to find which clinical characteristics of a severe asthma exacerbation? Select all that apply.
Correct answer
A,B,C,E
Rationale
Severe asthma exacerbations cause accessory muscle use, chest tightness, high-pitched wheezing, and tachypnea due to airway obstruction. Prolonged expiration, not inspiration, is typical as air is trapped.