A nurse is assessing a child who has bacterial pneumonia. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as a potential risk for aspiration?

A. Rapid respirations: Tachypnea is a common response to lung infection and impaired gas exchange in pneumonia. However, it reflects respiratory distress rather than increasing the risk for aspiration directly. B. Inspiratory wheezing: Wheezing suggests airway narrowing or inflammation, which occurs in pneumonia, but it does not contribute to aspiration risk. It primarily affects airflow, not swallowing or airway protection. C. Neurological deficit: Neurological impairments can weaken the muscles involved in swallowing and reduce cough reflex, which are critical for protecting the airway. This increases the likelihood of food, fluids, or secretions entering the lungs, leading to aspiration pneumonia. D. Elevated temperature: Fever is a systemic sign of infection and inflammation. Although it indicates illness severity, it does not influence the physical mechanisms that prevent aspiration or affect swallowing function.