cough function

Background: Chest expansion and cough function are essential in managing critically ill patients. Chest expansion reflects respiratory muscle strength and lung compliance, assessed non-invasively using simple measurements. Cough function clears airway secretions and prevents complications like pneumonia, but it is often impaired in critically ill patients due to immobility and weakened respiratory mechanics. Exploring the relationship between chest expansion and cough function could enable better, non-invasive methods to assess and improve respiratory health in this population.Methods:This study employs a cross-sectional design to explore the relationship between chest expansion and cough function in critically ill patients. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique based on specific inclusion criteria.A sample size of 34 was determined through a power analysis, ensuring adequate statistical power to detect significant correlations. Results:This study included 34 participants (58.8% female, 41.2% male) with a mean age of 53. No significant correlations were found between cough function and chest expansion at any level (p > 0.05). However, a significant negative correlation was observed between age and cough function (r = -0.906, p = 0.021). Hypothesis testing confirmed no significant relationship between chest expansion and cough function but identified a decline in cough function with increasing age. Conclusion:This study explored the relationship between chest expansion and cough function in critically ill patients. Chest expansion, a non-invasive measure of respiratory mechanics, and cough function, essential for airway clearance, were evaluated in 34 participants with an average age of 53 years. While no significant correlation was found between chest expansion at any level and cough function, a negative correlation between age and cough function was observed, indicating a decline in cough effectiveness with advancing age. Gender differences were noted in chest expansion at the axilla and xiphoid levels, with males showing greater values, but no gender-based differences were observed in cough function.