What it means
It opens the small air sacs and moves mucus up so it can be coughed out, helping prevent atelectasisat-uh-LEK-tuh-sisThe collapse of part or all of a lung, in which the tiny air sacs close and hold no air.atel- incomplete-ectasis expansionFull entry and pneumonianoo-MOHN-yuhAn infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.pneum/o lung, air-ia conditionFull entry , especially after surgery. It needs no equipment, unlike an incentive spirometerin-SEN-tiv spih-ROM-uh-terA hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.Full entry , and the two are often used together.
For the nurse
Teach the client to sit up, take a few slow deep breaths in through the nose, hold each briefly, breathe out slowly, and then cough deeply. Repeat several times every 1 to 2 hours while awake. A client with a chest or abdominal incision holds a pillow firmly against it while coughing.
Related terms
postoperative
Describing the time after surgery, from the end of the operation until recovery.
pneumonia
An infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.
incentive spirometer
A hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.
atelectasis
The collapse of part or all of a lung, in which the tiny air sacs close and hold no air.