Pediatric ATI Practice Exam

For a child diagnosed with asthma, which of the following medications is classified as a rescue inhaler?

1. Fluticasone.

2. Albuterol.

3. Montelukast.

4. Fexofenadine.

The correct answer is: Albuterol.

The medication classified as a rescue inhaler for a child diagnosed with asthma is Albuterol. Rescue inhalers, also known as short-acting bronchodilators, are used for immediate relief of asthma symptoms. They work by rapidly relaxing the muscles of the airways, leading to an expansion of the air passages and facilitating breathing during an asthma attack or when symptoms worsen. Albuterol is particularly effective because it acts quickly—typically within minutes—and provides temporary relief. This is critical for patients needing to manage acute asthma symptoms or exacerbations. In contrast, Fluticasone is a corticosteroid used as a long-term control medication to reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent asthma attacks over time, but it is not effective for immediate relief. Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that also serves for long-term management of asthma rather than for acute symptom relief. Fexofenadine is an antihistamine primarily used to treat allergies, not asthma symptoms. Therefore, Albuterol stands out as the designated rescue inhaler in this context.