Answer to Question 1
Answer: A
When a life-threatening total airway obstruction occurs, efforts to clear the obstruction include back blows and chest thrusts in an infant; therefore, the appropriate action for the nurse to take is to deliver back blows and chest thrusts. Abdominal thrusts are appropriate in older children.
Answer to Question 2
Answer: A, C
Respiratory status can change rapidly during an acute asthma attack. Slowed, shallow respirations with significantly diminished breath sounds and decreased wheezing may indicate exhaustion and impending respiratory failure. Immediate intervention is necessary. Increased crackles are usually associated with heart failure and are not an indication of exhaustion. An increased respiratory rate indicates respiratory compromise, but not exhaustion.