Respiratory rate

Respiratory rate refers to the number of breaths a person takes per minute. It's one of the vital signs – along with temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate – routinely measured to assess a person's basic bodily functions.

File:Robust Tracking of Respiratory Rate.jpg

Robust Tracking of Respiratory Rate

Normal Values

• The normal range for an adult at rest is typically 12 to 20 breaths per minute. However, this rate can vary depending on a variety of factors, such as age, fitness level, and health status. For example:
• Infants typically have a higher respiratory rate, ranging from 30 to 60 breaths per minute.
• Children's respiratory rates gradually decrease with age, with a range of about 20-30 breaths per minute.
• Older adults might have slightly higher respiratory rates than younger adults.

Assessment

The respiratory rate is usually measured when a person is at rest and involves counting the number of breaths for one minute by counting how many times the chest rises.

Significance

Changes in respiratory rate can indicate health issues. An abnormally high rate (tachypnea) could be a symptom of respiratory distress, infection, metabolic acidosis, or other conditions. An abnormally low rate (bradypnea) could be a sign of sedative use, metabolic disorders, or other medical conditions.

See Also

• Vital Signs
• Tachypnea
• Bradypnea
• Hyperventilation

References

• "Vital Signs". U.S. National Library of Medicine.
• "Respiratory Rate and Breathing". Stanford Children's Health.
• "How to Measure and Record Vital Signs". Johns Hopkins Medicine.

External Links

Respiratory Rate - MedlinePlus Assessing Respiratory Rate - World Health Organization