Step 1: Understanding the role of interventions for airway clearance.
Airway clearance interventions are used to remove mucus or secretions from the airways to improve breathing. The removal of secretions is critical for individuals with respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pneumonia.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
- (1) Suctioning: Correct. Suctioning is the most direct intervention for removing airway secretions, especially when they are collected centrally in the trachea or upper airways.
- (2) Incentive spirometry: Incorrect. Incentive spirometry encourages deep breathing and lung expansion but does not directly remove secretions.
- (3) Manual percussion: Incorrect. While percussion can help loosen secretions, it is not as effective in removing them as suctioning.
- (4) Pursed lip breathing: Incorrect. Pursed lip breathing helps improve ventilation and reduces shortness of breath but does not directly assist in secretions removal.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (1), as suctioning is the most effective way to clear secretions that have accumulated centrally in the airways.