Incentive spirometry and respiratory interventions

[Marie Raven]

When reviewing cardiopulmonary conditions, I am am confused about a directive in Campbell’s 5th edition, page 700, to promote “prolonged slow inspiration to facilitate end-expiratory lung volume” to help decrease the occurrence of atelectasis. This doesn’t quite make sense to me that an inspiratory technique is impacting end-expiratory lung volumes. Is this a typo? Should it be prolonged slow expiration/exhalation, or is it referring to end-inspiratory lung volumes?

[Helen Carey]

Hi Marie,
I believe that the text is correct as end-expiratory lung volume would be the reserve of air left in the lungs after expiration. This residual volume is important to keep the lungs inflated (reduce change of collapsing). A greater inspiration (“prolonged slow inspiration”) would increase the inspiratory lung volumes, which would influence functional residual capacity after expiration, which improves lung volume at rest and decreases atelectasis (collapse of a lung, or part of a lung, due to the alveoli losing air). The youtube video below explains the different lung volumes.

I hope this helps!
Helen

[Helen Carey]

(reduce **chance of collapsing)

[Author]

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