Check The Patient's Breathing
The normal rate of breathing, or respiration, in a resting adult is 12 (or more commonly 15) to 20 breaths a minute. The rate is higher in infants. It is also higher in a person who is exercising or under stress, and when the outside temperature is higher. Infections and respiratory disorders increase the rate as well. Some medications such as narcotics decrease respiration. When people lie flat on their back, they breathe less deeply.
It is important to check breathing when the patient is resting. It is best for the patient not to be aware that you are checking respiration, so that he or she breathes as usual. Count the breaths while you still have your fingers on the patients pulse, as if you were continuing to count the pulse. The patient will not notice that you are actually checking the breathing.
It is important to check breathing when the patient is resting. It is best for the patient not to be aware that you are checking respiration, so that he or she breathes as usual. Count the breaths while you still have your fingers on the patients pulse, as if you were continuing to count the pulse. The patient will not notice that you are actually checking the breathing.
- To check the rate of breathing, count the number of breaths for at least a minute.
- To check the rhythm, note whether the spaces between breaths are regular or not.
- To check the depth of breathing, look at the movement of the persons chest or place your hand on the persons chest to feel the movement. When the person breathes in, the ribs move upward and outward so that the lungs can expand; when the person breathes out, the ribs move in as the lungs are compressed. If there is a lot of movement of the chest, the breathing is deep; if the movement is very little, the breathing is shallow.
- Look at the amount of effort the patient has to make in order to breathe, and listen to the sound of the persons breathing. Normal breathing is silent and easy. Sometimes the patient is clearly working to breathe, particularly when he or she is lying flat. If the patient is working hard, you will often see tightness of the neck and shoulder muscles. Sometimes you will see that the skin has been pulled in above the sternum or below the ribs (called insuction or retraction).
- Listen for wheezing, which is a whistling or sighing sound. Wheezing is a sign of serious infection, asthma, or a block- age in the airway.
- Write down what you notice about the the patient's breathing. If you see any changes in the patient, tell the nurse in charge or the doctor imme-diately.
