Prognostic clinical indicators of short‐term survival for ineffective breathing pattern in children with acute respiratory infection

Aims and objectives To identify prognostic clinical indicators of short‐term survival for ineffective breathing pattern in children with acute respiratory infection. Background Despite the studies of survival for nursing diagnosis, there is not enough evidence about the clinical indicators that are associated with a worse prognosis for ineffective breathing pattern. Design A prospective cohort study. Methods One hundred and thirty‐six children were followed up for a minimum of six and a maximum of 10 consecutive days. The survival rate for ineffective breathing pattern was calculated using Nelson‐Aalen's method. An extended Cox model was adjusted to identify the main prognostic clinical indicators for this nursing diagnosis. Results Over half of the sample had an ineffective breathing pattern at the first evaluation. The occurrence of new cases was observed until the ninth day of monitoring, and the survival rate after this day was low. According to the Cox model, the main clinical indicators of a poor prognosis were an abnormal breathing pattern, the use of accessory muscles, dyspnoea and increase in the anterior–posterior chest diameter. Conclusions Children with acute respiratory infection who present with an abnormal breathing pattern, the use of accessory muscles to breathe, dyspnoea and increased anterior–posterior diameter have a poor prognosis for an ineffective breathing pattern. Relevance to clinical practice Survival analyses of nursing diagnoses allow the identification of clinical indicators that can be used in clinical practice as prognostic markers. The identification of indicators associated with a poor clinical prognosis allows nurses to intervene early and to maximise the possibility of a good outcome.