Responding to pediatric special needs patients can be challenging. Depending on the disability, the person may be unable to relate pertinent information about their complaint, level of discomfort, or emotional state. And when the emergency involves the respiratory tract, it only increases the stress of the situation. Let’s discuss some considerations when performing a respiratory assessment on pediatric patients with special needs.

Airway protection can be life-saving for people who are experiencing the effects of both acute and chronic respiratory illness. But airway protection is not an antidote to respiratory failure, and will not necessarily prevent it. Indeed, some doctors even argue that the need for airway protection is a sign of respiratory failure because the patient cannot effectively exchange gases on their own. Prompt intervention in a respiratory emergency may prevent respiratory failure in some cases, although there are no guarantees.  

Patient care providers—doctors, first responders, nurses, and a number of other experts—all must rely on a deep toolbox of life-saving equipment. Caring for patients requires that care providers know when, where, and how to use these tools and that they keep them ready to go at all times. This is more than just a professional duty – it’s a moral obligation. Care providers can face serious consequences when they fail to prepare and correctly use their tools. 

Air pollution is everywhere – in our homes, work environments and outdoor spaces – and the quality of the air we breathe has a significant impact on our short- and long-term respiratory health. Recent data from the American Lung Association demonstrates that, in 2022, more than 40% of Americans are living in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone. 

About 1 in 8 non-traumatic emergency visits were due to respiratory distress, per a 2014 study. Among patients with respiratory health issues or emergent trauma, the figure may have been even higher. Assessing respiratory status is a core component of emergency and trauma care, as well as medical intake. Even when respiratory distress is not the presenting issue, it may be a complicating factor.

Mold can present dangers for individuals in their homes, office spaces and many other indoor and outdoor environments. Notably, as a fungal growth that forms on damp and decaying organic matter and grows during all seasons of the year, mold can cause a range of respiratory emergencies if its spores are inhaled. 

Although it may seem like COVID-19 is the only respiratory disease crisis on medical professionals’ radar, influenza and pneumonia season is around the corner, and doctors worry that it may be more severe than people expect.

For adults and children, respiratory diseases are typically just a minor annoyance. For neonates, they can be fatal. Respiratory distress is a leading cause of death in newborns, particularly premature infants. In addition to infectious causes, it also occurs in 7% of neonates.

Most patients know only about continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. But in emergency medicine, CPAP has many uses, particularly for neonates with respiratory distress. 

Pediatric respiratory emergencies may make even the most seasoned provider nervous. It’s safe to say that when a child is hurt or sick, the situation becomes more serious. Your pediatric patient is not simply a smaller version of your adult patient. Children require special considerations, especially when a child is experiencing a respiratory emergency. There are a few things to keep in mind about pediatric respiratory emergencies: variations in pediatric airway anatomy, common respiratory emergencies in children, assessment techniques, and equipment choice. Let’s review how all of these factors relate to pediatric respiratory emergencies and how you can be better prepared when facing such an emergency.