Accuracy of Defining Characteristics for Nursing Diagnoses Related to Patients with Respiratory Deterioration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate accuracy of defining characteristics (DCs) for impaired gas exchange (IGE), impaired spontaneous ventilation (ISV), and ineffective breathing pattern (IBP) in respiratory deterioration.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective analysis of medical records. The accuracy and predictive ability of DC or of clusters are calculated.

FINDINGS: In this study, 391 records were evaluated. For IGE, DCs or clusters with higher efficiency were "hypercapnia" (78%), "somnolence" (74.4%), and "hypercapnia + tachycardia" (88%); for ISV, the cluster with higher efficiency was "increased heart rate ± decrease in cooperation" (70.1%); and for IBP, no DC or cluster exceeded 70% efficiency. These were confirmed by logistic regression.

CONCLUSION

Few DCs had adequate efficiency for respiratory nursing diagnoses, while in some cases clusters accounted for higher efficiency.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Clusters of DC may be relevant for respiratory diagnoses.