Hospital and Telephone Triage

91 videos, 4 hours and 28 minutes

Course Content

Respiration types and rates

Video 32 of 91
3 min 44 sec
English
English
Want to watch this video? Sign up for the course or enter your email below to watch one free video.

Unlock This Video Now for FREE

This video is normally available to paying customers.
You may unlock this video for FREE. Enter your email address for instant access AND to receive ongoing updates and special discounts related to this topic.

Assessing Respiration: Importance and Techniques

Understanding Respiration Rate

The respiration rate indicates the efficiency of breathing and is crucial for assessing overall health.

Normal Range:

  • Adults: 12 to 20 breaths per minute

Significance:

  • Observing the effort exerted by the patient during breathing.
  • Changes in breathing patterns can indicate underlying health issues.

Assessment Techniques

Assessing respiration involves observing breathing patterns and physical indicators.

Observation:

  • Check for equal rise and fall of the chest.
  • Assess the patient's ability to speak and form sentences.
  • Observe for signs of gasping or labored breathing.

Positional Clues:

Patients may adopt specific positions to aid breathing, such as the tripoding stance.

Use of Tools:

Stethoscopes can provide additional insight into lung function and detect abnormalities.

Procedure:

  • Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope on the patient's skin.
  • Listen at various locations on the chest, comparing breath sounds on both sides.
  • Focus areas include the midclavicular line, back, and axilla.

Considerations:

  • Listening through clothing may reduce sound transmission.
  • Patients should continue normal breathing during examination.
  • Assessment aims to ensure equal lung function and detect abnormal breath sounds.