How many breaths per session are recommended for incentive spirometry, and how often should they be performed?

• A. 5-10 breaths per session every hour while awake
• B. 15-20 breaths per hour
• C. 3-5 breaths every 4 hours
• D. 20 breaths per 2 hours

Answer: (A)

Incentive spirometry works by encouraging regular, deep breaths to keep the airways open and prevent atelectasis after surgery. The best pattern is to perform 5 to 10 breaths per session, and do that hourly while you’re awake. In practice, you inhale slowly to a comfortable maximal inspiratory level, hold for about 3 to 5 seconds if you can, then exhale normally, repeating for 5 to 10 breaths. This cadence keeps lung inflation frequent enough to recruit alveoli and improve ventilation without causing fatigue. Doing more breaths per hour isn’t typically necessary and can be tiring, while doing fewer breaths or less frequent sessions won’t effectively prevent collapse of the small airways.