CCRN Critical Care Nursing

Answer: B - For a child with croup who is coughing and having difficulty breathing, the child should be taken into the shower where hot water is running to make the bathroom steamy. Steam helps to loosen secretion and relieve some of the respiratory distress. Giving acetaminophen is helpful but will not ease difficult breathing. Giving over-the-counter cough syrup is inappropriate because the underlying problem is airway inflammation and subsequent mucus accumulation and bronchoconstriction. Getting the child to take as much fluid as possible is important but it will not be effective in easing difficult breathing.