Which of the following is a late sign of an asthma attack?

Which of the following is a late sign of an asthma attack?

• A. Wheezing, coughing, tenseness, and anxiety
• B. Increase in pulse rate
• C. Shoulders hunched and chest pulled up by the effort to breathe
• D. Cyanosis (blue and gray color to the skin), a late sign

Answer: (D)

Cyanosis is a late sign of an asthma attack because it shows that oxygen levels in the blood have becoming dangerously low. Early on, the body often responds with signs like wheezing, coughing, anxiety, and a faster pulse, as airways tighten and breathing becomes more labored. You also see increased effort with the shoulders and chest pulling in as the person uses accessory muscles to breathe. But as the attack progresses and oxygen delivery to tissues drops despite these efforts, the skin and lips can turn blue-gray. That color change means the body isn’t getting enough oxygen, signaling a medical emergency that needs prompt treatment.

Cyanosis is a late sign of an asthma attack because it shows that oxygen levels in the blood have becoming dangerously low. Early on, the body often responds with signs like wheezing, coughing, anxiety, and a faster pulse, as airways tighten and breathing becomes more labored. You also see increased effort with the shoulders and chest pulling in as the person uses accessory muscles to breathe. But as the attack progresses and oxygen delivery to tissues drops despite these efforts, the skin and lips can turn blue-gray. That color change means the body isn’t getting enough oxygen, signaling a medical emergency that needs prompt treatment.