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The chief complaint of your patient is "I can’t catch my breath!" The patient is sitting on her sofa and leaning back. There is no cyanosis and the patient is alert and oriented. When you examine the patient’s chest you note substernal retractions on each inhalation. What level of breathing difficulty is the patient likely experiencing?
A. There is insufficient information to make the diagnosis.
B. Mild to moderate difficulty.
C. Severe difficulty.
D. No difficulty, substernal retractions are part of normal breathing.