Respirations
This section will show you how to properly attain and record a patient’s respirations. For your return demonstration, you will be expected to know how to properly attain a respiration reading. You must view the video and practice according to the guidelines prior to your return demo. You will need to have a watch with a second hand available.
Assessment
The normal respiration rate differs among ages.
· Newborns: 30-80 per minute · Child: 15-30 per minute · Adult: 12-20 per minute When assessing respiration rate, you need to consider the depth, rhythm, quality, and character of each breath. |
In order to obtain a respiration rate, you must watch the patient’s chest rise and fall for 30 seconds. You then double that number and you get your patient’s respirations per minute. NOTE: An infant’s respirations will be found by watching it’s stomach rather than it’s chest, rise and fall. |
Key Points
There are many factors that influence respirations including:
· Exercise · Respiratory Diseases · Circadium Rhythms · Smoking · Stress · Environment · Age · Medications · Pain · Anxiety · Body Position |
Abnormal findings can occur.
· Apnea: Without respirations · Eupnea: Quiet, effortless, and rhythmic · Bradypnea: Abnormally slow, less than 10 · Tachypnea: Abnormally slow, greater than 10 |