Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 78%
Simulated
Passage / Scenario
A nurse in an emergency department is assessing a 3-year-old child who has a high fever, severe dyspnea, and is drooling.Which of the following actions is the nurse's priority?
Correct answer
A
Rationale
The correct answer is A: Prepare for nasotracheal intubation. Priority here is airway management to ensure the patient's oxygenation and ventilation. Nasotracheal intubation is crucial in cases of respiratory distress. Obtaining blood cultures (B) and inserting an IV catheter (D) are important tasks but not as urgent as securing the airway. Administering an antipyretic (C) may be necessary for fever management, but it is not the priority in this critical situation.