03-13-2008, 09:01 PM
4. A 13-year-old girl is brought to the emergency
department because
of shortness of breath for 2 hours. The symptoms
began after consuming
chili, cornbread, and fruit salad with strawberries,
kiwi, and bananas.
She has a 1-year history of shortness of breath while
playing soccer or
baseball and uses a bronchodilator inhaler as needed
while exercising.
She is allergic to penicillin and pineapples. Her
blood pressure is
80/60 mm Hg, pulse is 120/min and regular, and
respirations are 20/min
with use of accessory muscles. Examination of the
lungs shows poor air
entry bilaterally with diffuse expiratory wheezes.
Which of the
following is the most appropriate initial
pharmacotherapy?
A
) Inhaled bronchodilators
B
) Inhaled cromolyn sodium
C
) Inhaled ipratropium bromide
D
) Intravenous corticosteroids
E
) Subcutaneous epinephrine