When a nurse is assessing an 8-year old child with asthma, an immediate intervention should be provided if she senses what is known as Audible Wheezing. Audible wheezing is a coarse rattle medical expert is trained to hear in patients with certain conditions, which are usually caused by difficult respiration.
In the case of an 8-year old child with asthma, the nurse can easily sense this sound without the use of a stethoscope because the sound is distinct enough to be heard with the human ear. Wheezing is an indication that something is happening to the respiratory system of the patient.
Most times, it shows the airway is partially blocked, probably due to a cold, an allergic reaction, etc. One of the symptoms of asthma, heart failure is wheezing. While this can stop on its own, it could also be an indication of a serious heart condition. That is why once this is sensed by the nurse, immediate intervention should be provided.