Accuracy of the nursing diagnosis of ineffective airway clearance in intensive care unit patients

• Published in: Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. e20220174 - 5
• Main Authors: Dantas, Juliane Rangel, Almeida, Anna Thays Dias, Matias, Karolayne Cabral, Fernandes, Maria Isabel da Conceição Dias, Tinôco, Jéssica Dantas de Sá, Lopes, Marcos Venícios de Oliveira, Lira, Ana Luísa Brandão de Carvalho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem 2023
• Subjects: Accuracy; Adult; Adults; Brazil; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Critical Care; Data collection; Data Management; Hospitals, University; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Medical diagnosis; Mortality; Nursing; Nursing Diagnosis; Original; Patients; Physical examinations; Respiratory System; Variables; Vital signs; Brazil
• DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2022-0174
• ISSN: 0034-7167

to analyze the accuracy of the clinical indicators of ineffective airway clearance in adult intensive care unit patients. diagnostic accuracy study, performed in the intensive care unit of a university hospital in northeastern Brazil. The sample consisted of 104 patients hospitalized between June and October 2019. the prevalence of ineffective airway clearance was 36.54%. The indicators with high specificity included absence of cough (0.8326), orthopnea (0.6817), adventitious breath sounds (0.8175), and diminished breath sounds (0.8326). The clinical indicators with high sensitivity and specificity were alteration in respiratory rate (0.9999) and alteration in respiratory pattern (0.9999). six clinical indicators provided an accurate identification of ineffective airway clearance. The clinical indicators alteration in respiratory rate and alteration in respiratory pattern were the most accurate for critical adult patients. The findings of this study contribute to accurate diagnostic inferences and to prevention of respiratory complications in these patients.