How to Measure and Record Respiratory Rate

It can be scary when someone you care about is sick, but monitoring their vital signs can help you keep track of their condition. One of the easiest signs to measure is their respiratory rate, or how many times the person breathes in a minute. [1] More importantly, this simple test can help tell you a lot about the person's health, especially if the rate changes over a period of time.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Taking the Measurement

  1. To ensure you get an accurate, consistent reading, ask the person to sit quietly for a few moments until they seem relaxed. [2] If you measure a person's respiration while they're active, they may have a higher reading than they normally would.
    • For instance, you might ask the person to take several slow, deep breaths, then ask them to return to breathing normally.
    • You can measure the respiratory rate whether the person is standing, sitting, or lying down.

    Tip: If you're concerned that the person might breathe differently if they know you're measuring their respiration, try pretending that you're taking their pulse, instead. [3]

  2. Use the second hand on your watch or a timer on your phone to keep track of the person's breathing for exactly 1 minute. Once the minute starts, count every time you see their chest rise. Only count the inhales or the exhales, but not both, or else it will be inaccurate. [4]
    • You can do this by simply watching the person's chest as it rises and falls.
    • For the most accurate reading, count for the whole 60 seconds. Otherwise, you can try counting for 30 seconds and multiplying the number by 2, but it may not be as accurate. [5]

    Variation: You can also keep track of the person’s pulse to check their heart rate. Place your index and middle fingers onto the person’s wrist just below their thumb and count every time you feel a pulse for 30 seconds. Multiply the number by 2 to get the heart rate.

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  3. In a small notebook or a note app on your phone, write down the number that you just counted, with the date and time the measurement was taken. You might also include notes if the person's breathing seems abnormal, like if it's shallow or labored; if the breathing rate is regular; if the person had been asleep or active before the reading was taken; or if the person was lying down rather than sitting up. [6]
    • A normal respiratory rate for a resting adult is between 12-20 breaths every minute. [7]
    • For infants up to a year old, a normal respiratory rate is between 30 and 60 breaths per minute. For toddlers ages 1-3, the average rate is 24-40 breaths a minute. For children ages 3-6, that number is 22-34 breaths a minute, and for children ages 5-12, the count should be between 18 and 30 breaths each minute. [8]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Tracking the Results

  1. Try to measure the person's breathing twice a day, at about the same times each day, at about 12 hours apart. For instance, you might check their breathing when they first wake up and before they go to bed each night. By writing down the measurement each time, you'll be able to learn their baseline respiratory rate, and it will be easier to notice any changes. [9]
    • If the person is having serious trouble breathing or if they're otherwise very will, you might check their breathing every 10 minutes or so.
    • Unless a person's initial respiratory rate is very high or very low, you're not likely to learn much just from taking the measurement once. However, by tracking their respiratory rate over a period of time, you may be able to predict in advance whether the person's condition will deteriorate, based on changes in their respiratory rate.
  2. Although it can be scary, one abnormal reading doesn't necessarily mean there's anything to worry about. If the person has been exercising or very active just before the test, for instance, they may have a much higher reading. If you suspect something is throwing off the reading, wait 10-15 minutes, then try again. [10]
    • Similarly, certain medications, such as opiates, might cause a person's respiratory rate to be much lower than normal. If that's the case, the reading might remain abnormal until the medication wears off. [11]
    • If the person is showing obvious signs of distress, like having difficulty breathing, seeming weak or lethargic, or having trouble talking, call their doctor or emergency services right away.
  3. If a person is breathing less than 8 times a minute or more than 25 times a minute, it may be a sign that the person's health is failing. Since this is often one of the early indications that someone's condition is worsening, it's especially important to pay attention to this, even if they aren't showing any other signs that they're doing worse. [12]

    Did You Know? A change in a person's respiratory rate may indicate a problem up to 72 hours before their condition deteriorates. [13]

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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    After taking the number of counts for respiration, how do you calculate to get the actual respiratory rate or respiration?
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Expert Answer
    Count the person’s inhale and exhale as 1 respiration, set the stopwatch for 60 seconds, and note how many chest risings you have counted.
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  • Question
    How do I record respiration rate?
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Expert Answer
    Normal respiration rate (RR) for an adult at rest is between 12 to 20 breaths per minute (brpm).
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      Warnings

      • Call for emergency medical help right away if a person's respiratory rate is over 25 breaths per minute or less than 8 breaths per minute.
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      • Talk to the person's doctor if their respiratory rate changes by 3-5 breaths or more per minute in a 12-hour period.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/vital-signs-body-temperature-pulse-rate-respiration-rate-blood-pressure
      2. ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=85&ContentID=P00866
      3. ↑ https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/03/180328-Respiratory-rate-1-why-measurement-and-recording-are-crucial.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/how-to-measure-respiratory-rate/art-20482580
      5. ↑ https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.8.504
      6. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/how-to-measure-respiratory-rate/art-20482580
      7. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10881-vital-signs
      8. ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/ems/pdf/assmttools.pdf
      9. ↑ https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/03/180328-Respiratory-rate-1-why-measurement-and-recording-are-crucial.pdf
      1. ↑ https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/03/180328-Respiratory-rate-1-why-measurement-and-recording-are-crucial.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.8.504
      3. ↑ https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/03/180328-Respiratory-rate-1-why-measurement-and-recording-are-crucial.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/respiratory-clinical-archive/respiratory-rate-1-why-measurement-and-recording-are-crucial-26-03-2018/

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