A nurse is caring for a 6-month-old Infant with a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) who is experiencing a hypercyanotic spell. The Infant is lethargic and has a weak cry. What is the priority nursing action for this Infant?

A. While morphine can help to relieve anxiety and pain, it does not address the underlying cause of a hypercyanotic spell, which is the right-to-left shunting. The first step should be positioning the infant properly. B. Although oxygen is helpful, it will not be as effective as using the knee-to-chest position to alleviate the underlying circulatory issue causing the hypercyanotic spell. C. While comforting the child is important, a pacifier will not help in alleviating the hypercyanotic spell and is not the primary intervention in this emergency situation. D. In a hypercyanotic spell, the priority is to increase systemic vascular resistance to decrease the right- to-left shunting of blood. The knee-to-chest position is effective for this, as it increases the resistance in the lower extremities, helping to improve oxygenation.