Different between ineffective airway clearance and ineffective breathing pattern

[NG KIU HO]

May anyone further explains what is the difference between ineffective airway clearance and ineffective breathing pattern?

Once I ask my teachers the same question for a care plan related to pneumonia, and she said both should be OK.

[WanderingWilder, ASN]

ineffective breathing pattern would be related to the breathing pattern is it too fast, too slow, shallow, accessory muscles being used, purse lip breathing? ineffective airway clearance would be a nonproductive congestive cough or inability to clear sputum. Both of these could happen with pna.

[Okey Foley, BSN, RN]

I really struggled with this in school.

Airway - the physical airway. Think obstruction of a straw. All the way from the mouth to the bronchioles. In pneumonia, mucous and fluid could block that "straw" of the airway.

Breathing - act of lung expansion, inspiration and expiration. As Wandering said, examples with pneumonia are too shallow d/t pain or congestion, tachypnea in attempt to compensate for not getting enough oxygen.

[Rosalie Blythe, BSN, RN]

On 3/17/2020 at 3:27 PM, Okey Foley said:

I really struggled with this in school.

Airway - the physical airway. Think obstruction of a straw. All the way from the mouth to the bronchioles. In pneumonia, mucous and fluid could block that "straw" of the airway.

Breathing - act of lung expansion, inspiration and expiration. As Wandering said, examples with pneumonia are too shallow d/t pain or congestion, tachypnea in attempt to compensate for not getting enough oxygen.

You can observe that too with patients who are fresh post-op day 1 from abdominal surgery; they are less likely to take a deep breathe because of post-op pain. Thats why pain management is important for any post-op patient (your other post ? )