User:Rhong4/Incentive spirometer

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An incentive spirometer is a medical device used to help patients improve the functioning of their lungs. It is a simplified spirometer provided to patients who have had any surgery that might jeopardize respiratory function, particularly surgery to the lungs, but also commonly to patients recovering from cardiac or other surgery involving extended time under anesthesia and prolonged in-bed recovery. The incentive spirometer also is issued to patients recovering from pneumonia or rib damage to help minimize the chance of fluid build-up in the lungs. There is additional theoretical benefits for patients with COVID-19, specifically to reduce intrapulmonary shunting and improve ventilation/perfusion mismatch. It may be used as well by wind instrument players who want to improve their air flow.

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Indications

Pulmonary atelectasis

Cystic fibrosis

Pneumonia

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Post-op / abdominal or thoracic surgery

Prolonged bed rest

Neuromuscular injury or spinal cord injury

Children with cerebral palsy

Rib fractures

Sickle Cell Disease

Ankylosing spondylitis

Mild moderate asthma

Interstitial lung disease

Multiple Sclerosis

COVID-19

COVID -19 section / therapeutic benefits

Contraindications

Diaphragmatic dysfunction

Generally, patients are encouraged to do many repetitions a day while measuring progress by way of advancing the movable gauge along the central column of the device as they improve.

Usage

Patient begins in a seated upright position. Before using device, patient completely exhales. Once lips are tightly closed around mouthpiece. the patient breathes in from the device as slowly and as deeply as possible, then holds that breath in for 2–6 seconds. This provides back pressure that pops open alveoli. It has the same effect as that which occurs during yawning. An indicator piston driven by the patient's breathing provides a gauge of how well the patient's lungs (or lung if singular) are functioning, by indicating sustained inhalation vacuum. While the patient is holding their breath, the indicator piston will slowly return to the bottom.

Generally, patients are encouraged to do many repetitions a day while measuring progress by way of advancing the movable gauge along the central column of the device as they improve.

Risk/ Complications

Image Blurb

A typical incentive spirometer consists of an inhalation nozzle, which is seen facing toward the camera. The curved plastic on the left is a handle. The plunger is in the middle (along with an adjustable mark to indicate a goal), and on the right side is a flow indicator showing whether the patient is inhaling too rapidly.