What is the purpose of incentive spirometry?

• A. To prevent pulmonary embolism
• B. To measure blood oxygen saturation
• C. To clear mucus from the airways
• D. To encourage deep breathing and prevent atelectasis

Answer: (D)

Incentive spirometry is used to encourage deep, slow breaths in order to expand the lungs and prevent atelectasis. By inhaling through the device and aiming for a sustained maximal inspiration, the patient opens collapsed airways, recruits more alveoli, and improves overall ventilation, especially after surgery or during illness when shallow breathing is common due to pain or sedation. The visual feedback and targets help the patient strive for larger breaths, promoting better diaphragmatic breathing and lung expansion, which reduces the risk of hypoxemia and postoperative pulmonary complications.

This tool isn’t used to prevent pulmonary embolism, which is addressed through mobility and other medical measures, nor is it a device for measuring blood oxygen saturation (that’s done with a pulse oximeter). It also isn’t primarily a mucus-clearing technique; coughing, chest physiotherapy, and suctioning are the main methods for removing secretions, though improved lung expansion from incentive spirometry can support overall ventilation and clearance in a secondary way.