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Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Employing the Forced Oscillation Technique for the Assessment of Respiratory Mechanics in Adults
Published on: February 9, 2022
Assessment and maintenance of adequate respiration
1Veterans Administration Hospital, Long Beach, California, USA.
Abstract:
In order to make an adequate assessment of and to maintain respiratory function in patients in the intensive care unit, the nursing responsibilities include: (1) Recognition of physiologic and psychologic changes related to respiratory disease. (2) Appreciation of individual reactions to respiratory stressful situations, particularly during periods of hypoxemia and hypercapnia. (3) Awareness that behavioral changes related to changes in respiratory physiology are reversible with corrective respiratory therapy. (4) Skill in implementing the prescribed medical therapy quickly and efficiently and ability to evaluate the patient's response. (5) Assessment and appropriate involvement of the family as an essential factor in the plan for care.
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