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Defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis "ineffective airway clearance"

Daniel Bruno Resende Chaves1, Beatriz Amorim Beltrão1, Lívia Maia Pascoal1

  • 1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.

Revista Brasileira De Enfermagem
|February 13, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Key indicators for ineffective airway clearance in children with acute respiratory infection include decreased breath sounds, ineffective cough, and adventitious lung sounds. These findings aid in accurate nursing diagnosis and timely intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Acute respiratory infections are a common cause of pediatric illness.
  • Ineffective airway clearance is a frequent nursing diagnosis in these children.
  • Accurate identification of defining characteristics is crucial for effective nursing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and analyze the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis 'ineffective airway clearance'.
  • To determine the predictive capacity of these characteristics in children with acute respiratory infection.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in two pediatric hospitals.
  • Detailed respiratory evaluations were performed on 249 children.
  • Statistical analysis identified significant associations between clinical signs and the nursing diagnosis.

Main Results:

  • Ineffective airway clearance was diagnosed in 89.2% of the children studied.
  • Significant associations were found with dyspnea, expectoration, orthopnea, respiratory adventitious sounds, decreased breath sounds, and ineffective cough.
  • Decreased breath sounds, ineffective cough, and respiratory adventitious sounds formed a predictive model.

Conclusions:

  • Decreased breath sounds, ineffective cough, and respiratory adventitious sounds are strong predictors of ineffective airway clearance in pediatric acute respiratory infections.
  • These characteristics enhance the diagnostic accuracy for nurses.
  • This knowledge supports evidence-based nursing practice for respiratory care in children.
Abstract

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