Table 2. Distribution of the defining characteristics for the ineffective breathing pattern and impaired spontaneous ventilation diagnoses, as well as for the review of the “ventilation” concept for the total sample of patients and subsamples related to the type of ventilatory support. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 2016.

Defining characteristics	Total (N*=626) f † % ‡		SV § (n=323) f %		NIMV || (n=128) f %		IMV ¶ (n=175) f %
Alterations in respiratory rate	400	63.6	189	58.4	98	76.4	113	64.4
Decrease in inspiratory pressure	309	49.1	6	1.9	128	100	175	100
Decrease in expiratory pressure	309	49.1	6	1.9	128	100	175	100
Increase in heart rate	293	46.6	126	38.9	82	63.9	85	48.4
Use of accessory muscles to breathe	288	45.8	125	38.6	90	70.2	73	41.6
Altered arterial blood gases	288	45.8	93	28.7	85	66.3	110	62.7
Increased metabolic rate	282	44.8	117	36.2	81	63.1	84	47.8
Dyspnea	251	40.0	152	47.0	49	38.2	50	28.5
Alterations in tidal volume	224	35.6	36	11.1	88	68.6	100	57.0
Fatigue	220	35.0	97	30.0	65	50.7	58	33.0
Orthopnea	210	33.4	142	43.9	35	27.3	33	18.8
Abdominal paradoxical respiratory pattern	205	32.6	123	38.0	26	20.2	56	31.9
Increased restlessness	201	32.0	78	24.1	54	42.1	69	39.3
Altered ventilation/perfusion ratio	179	28.5	51	15.7	52	40.5	76	43.3
Decrease in SaO2**	161	25.6	13	4.0	64	49.9	84	47.8
Decrease in cooperation	133	21.1	41	12.6	39	30.4	53	30.2
Hypoxia	114	18.1	30	9.2	31	24.1	53	30.2
Apprehensiveness	86	13.7	35	10.8	28	21.8	23	13.1
Cyanosis of the skin, lips or extremities	65	10.3	15	4.6	11	8.5	39	22.2
Prolonged expiration phase	58	9.2	34	10.5	10	7.8	14	7.9
Use of three-point position	40	6.4	8	2.4	23	17.9	9	5.1
Increase in anterior-posterior chest diameter	26	4.1	11	3.4	7	5.4	8	4.5
Nasal flaring	11	1.7	3	0.9	3	2.3	3	1.7
Drumming of fingers	9	1.4	5	1.5	5	3.9	1	0.5
Altered chest excursion	1	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0.5

*Number of patients; †Frequency; ‡Percentage; §Spontaneous ventilation; ||Non-invasive mechanical ventilation; ¶Invasive mechanical ventilation; **Arterial oxygen saturation