Page 156 - Participant Manual

Respiratory Distress

For children, respiratory distress is the second-most common emergency condition. Children are more
susceptible than adults to respiratory distress because their airways are smaller, narrower and less rigid. In
addition to the signs and symptoms of respiratory distress seen in adults (see Chapter 5), children may have
the following signs and symptoms:

■ Nasal flaring (widening of the nostrils when breathing in)

■ Use of the chest and neck muscles to breathe (muscles pull in around the collarbone and ribs)
■ Grunting

Two common infections associated with respiratory distress in children are croup and epiglottitis.

■ Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis) is an infection of the upper airway that causes difficulty breathing
and a harsh, repetitive, bark-like cough. When the child breathes in, he or she may make a high-pitched
whistling noise. Croup is most common in children younger than 5 years. Croup usually is not serious
and can be managed at home; however, in some cases, a child with croup can progress quickly from
respiratory distress to respiratory arrest.
■ Epiglottitis is swelling of the epiglottis (the piece of cartilage that covers the trachea), usually caused by
a bacterial infection. Epiglottitis is life threatening because the swelling can block the windpipe and lead
to severe breathing problems. Since the implementation of routine vaccination against H. influenza type B
with the Hib vaccine, the number of cases of epiglottitis has dropped significantly in the United States.

Appendix C Special Considerations for Signs and Symptoms in Children | 148 | First Aid/CPR/AED Participant’s Manual © 2011, 2016 The American National Red Cross. All rights reserved. Appendix C Special Considerations for Signs and Symptoms in Children | 148 | First Aid/CPR/AED Participant’s Manual