Acute respiratory distress in children.

Examination of the child with respiratory distress starts with the identification of the site of the lesion. In upper airway obstruction in which stridor is the hallmark, decisions about the severity of the condition are based almost exclusively on clinical examination. Intrathoracic lesions, however, require both careful clinical and laboratory evaluation. Although each disease requires specific attention, these principles of management should prove helpful when treating the child with respiratory distress.