Assessing Respiration: Rate, Rhythm, and Effort
Category: Vital Signs
Status: Stub — content coming soon
Purpose
Describe the clinical importance of respiratory assessment.
Equipment
- Watch with second hand (or timer)
Procedure
Characteristics to Assess
- Rate: breaths per minute (count for 30–60 seconds)
- Rhythm: regular or irregular
- Depth: shallow, normal, deep
- Effort: labored, use of accessory muscles, nasal flaring
Normal Findings
- Adult: 12–20 breaths/min, regular rhythm, effortless
Abnormal Patterns
| Pattern | Description |
|---|---|
| Tachypnea | > 20 breaths/min |
| Bradypnea | < 12 breaths/min |
| Apnea | Cessation of breathing |
| Cheyne-Stokes | Cyclic crescendo-decrescendo |
Notes
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