Defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis "ineffective airway clearance"

Objective: to analyze the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis "ineffective airway clearance" in children with acute respiratory infection. Method: cross-sectional descriptive study, developed in two hospitals specialized in care for children. It was held a detailed respiratory evaluation of the child to identify the defining characteristics of the diagnosis under study. Results: a total of 249 children were evaluated, 55.8% were male and the median age was 13.76 months. Ineffective airway clearance was identified in 222 children 989.2%). The following defining characteristics presented statistically significant associations: dyspnea, expectoration, orthopnea, respiratory adventitious sounds, decreased breath sounds and ineffective cough. Decreased breath sounds, ineffective cough and respiratory adventitious sounds composed the logistic regression model. Conclusion: the characteristics decreased breath sounds, ineffective cough and respiratory adventitious sounds have better predictive capacity for the diagnosis "ineffective airway clearance" in children with acute respiratory infection.