Question

The nurse is caring for a patient who is 12 hours post abdominal surgery. The surgeons order reads, incentive spirometry 10x/hour while awake. how do you interpret this order?

Answer 1

Incentive spirometry is a process of strengthening the lung to prevent it from becoming weak after prolonged disuse, following surgery. Incentive spirometer is the instrument used which is a handheld device.

As per surgeons order, incentive spirometry 10x/hour means to do the spirometry for 10 times in an hour while the patient is awake.

The procedure:- 1) Ask the patient to sit up on the edge of the bed.

2) Hold the instrument in an upright position.

3) Ask the patient to keep the mouthpiece in the mouth and seal it with the lips.

4)Ask patient to take deep breath slowly. The yellow indicator will be seen rising and touching the blue line. Ask patient to hold the breath for atleast 5 seconds and then exhale.

5) Ask the patient to rest for a few seconds and repeat the same steps again and ask to do this 10 times in an hour.