Asthma USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 7-year-old boy with no prior respiratory disease presents to the emergency department with acute onset dyspnea and bilateral wheezing that began 10 minutes after sprinting during a soccer game on a cold, dry day. He denies fever, cough, or recent upper respiratory infection. Physical examination reveals clear bilateral wheezing, prolonged expiratory phase, and peak expiratory flow of 62% predicted. Oxygen saturation is 94% on room air. He receives nebulized albuterol and shows rapid clinical improvement with normalization of peak flow to 88% predicted within 30 minutes. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer choices
- AAcute viral bronchitis with reactive airway disease
- BExercise-induced bronchoconstrictionCorrect answer
- CAcute asthma exacerbation triggered by environmental allergen exposure
- DForeign body aspiration of the left mainstem bronchus
- EAnaphylaxis secondary to insect sting during outdoor activity
- FSpontaneous pneumothorax from rupture of subpleural bleb
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