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Medicine vocabulary · History Taking and Examination

Respiratory rate

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈrespərətɔːri reɪt/nounCommon term

In medicine, respiratory rate means: The number of breaths a person takes per minute, counted while they are resting; it is one of the vital signs.

In Turkish: solunum sayısı, solunum hızı

How it is used

Recorded as 'RR' on observation charts. A raised respiratory rate is an early and sensitive sign that a patient is unwell, yet it is often the vital sign measured least carefully. Doctors count it for a full 30 or 60 seconds without telling the patient.

Example sentences

  1. His respiratory rate is 28 and his sats are dropping.

  2. The respiratory rate was recorded as 16, which is within the normal range.

Common collocations

  • raised respiratory rate
  • count the respiratory rate
  • respiratory rate of 20
  • normal respiratory rate
  • vital signsThe basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.
  • oxygen saturationThe percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen, usually measured with a clip on the finger; in healthy adults it is usually 95% or higher.
  • shortness of breathA feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).
  • sepsisA life-threatening reaction to an infection in which the body's response starts to damage its own organs.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: History Taking and Examination

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.