A nurse is monitoring an infant who is 3 months old and has sneezing, coughing, nasal congestion, intermittent fever, and apneic spells. These nurse should recognize these findings are associated with which of the following diagnoses?

A. Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis typically presents with rapid onset of severe sore throat, high fever, difficulty swallowing, and drooling due to inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis. It is a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention but is less likely to present with the described symptoms.

B. Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis commonly occurs in infants and young children, often during the winter months. It is characterized by symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, nasal congestion, fever, and

respiratory distress. The described symptoms, including coughing, nasal congestion, and intermittent fever, align with bronchiolitis.

C. Influenza

Influenza typically presents with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. While coughing and fever are common symptoms of influenza, the presence of apneic spells is less typical of influenza and more indicative of lower respiratory tract infections like bronchiolitis.

D. Croup

Croup is characterized by a barking cough, hoarseness, and respiratory distress often accompanied by stridor. While croup shares some symptoms with bronchiolitis, such as coughing, the absence of stridor in the description suggests bronchiolitis as a more likely diagnosis.