In assessing a child with cystic fibrosis, which sign might the nurse expect?

In a child with cystic fibrosis, one of the hallmark signs is salty tasting skin. This occurs due to the body’s inability to properly transport sodium and chloride ions across epithelial cells, resulting in excessive salt loss through sweat. When the child sweats, the perspiration contains higher levels of salt than that of a typical child, and caregivers often note that the skin feels salty to the taste.

This characteristic is a key indication for cystic fibrosis and can serve as an early diagnostic clue. While other symptoms like respiratory difficulties or growth issues are also present in cystic fibrosis, the specific manifestation of salty skin directly reflects the underlying pathophysiology of the disease related to sweat gland function.

The other signs mentioned, such as clear nasal drainage, cyanosis in the extremities, and difficulty breathing only at night, do not specifically correlate with cystic fibrosis and are more indicative of other respiratory conditions, thereby highlighting why salty skin is the most relevant and expected symptom in this context.