Question

A child with asthma experiences symptoms more than twice a week but less than once a day, his forced expiratory volume (FEV) averages around 85% of his predicted value, and he reports minor limitations in his normal activity level. The nurse would classify this child's asthma as which of the following?

A) Intermittent
B) Mild persistent
C) Moderate persistent
D) Severe persistent

Answer 1

The child's asthma would be classified as 'Mild persistent' based on the frequency and severity of symptoms, as well as the impact on the child's daily activities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that is characterized by episodes of airway obstruction due to inflammation, bronchospasms, and excessive mucus production. Given the description of the frequency and severity of the symptoms — experiencing asthma symptoms more than twice a week but less than once a day, with an FEV average around 85% of the predicted value and minor limitations in normal activity level — the nurse would classify this child's asthma as Mild persistent.

Asthma severity is typically classified into four categories: intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent. Here, 'mild persistent' is the appropriate classification because the symptoms occur more frequently than in intermittent asthma (which would be less than twice a week) but are not as severe or frequent as moderate or severe persistent asthma.