How to Measure and Record Respiratory Rate

An injured person's respiratory rate will help the rescuer assess the injury, and is an important indicator of how the person is responding to treatment. Record the respiratory rate every 15 minutes and pass this information on to a medical professional when care is transferred.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebooks
• Pens
• Stopwatches
• Pens
• Notebooks

1. Observe the injured person's stomach or chest and watch until you see it rise and fall.

2. Count the number of times the stomach or chest rises for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, or for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. This tells you the respiratory rate per minute.

3. Note the rhythm of the breathing. Is it regular or irregular?

4. Note how much effort it takes for the person to breathe. Is the breath labored, or effortless?

5. Note if the breathing is deep or shallow.

6. Smell the breath for any unusual odor, especially noting a fruity odor or a fecal odor.

7. Record your findings in the following manner: rate, rhythm, effort, depth, noise and odors. For example: "Respiratory rate is 30, irregular, labored, shallow, gurgling and with no odor."

Tips & Warnings

• Injured people may change their breathing out of nervousness if they know you are taking their respiratory rate. For a more accurate reading, pretend to be taking a pulse, but instead watch the stomach or chest.
• If you have problems seeing the chest or stomach rise, place your hand lightly on the injured person's stomach to feel it rise and fall.
• Healthy people normally take in 12 to 20 breaths per minute.
• A fruity or fecal odor may indicate a serious medical emergency.

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