EMT- Week 5- Breathing

During the patient assessment, what are the 3 items you check for while checking for inadequate breathing?  What is the memory aid to use for assessing breathing difficulty?  Ensure you list what each letter stands for to ensure you remember the memory aid.  Also respond to 2 other students posts.

3 Items to Check for While Checking for Inadequate Breathing:

1.       Rate: Rates of breathing that are considered normal vary by age. For an adult, a normal rate is 12-20 breaths/minute. For a child, it is 15 -30 breaths/minute. For an infant it is 25-50 breaths/minute. A patient who is suffering very slow breaths and very rapid breaths isn’t allowing enough air to enter the lungs resulting in the scarce oxygen being distributed throughout the body. Agonal respirations are an example of a irregular rate of breathing/inadequate breathing that are normally very random/sporatic and commonly occur before respiratory arrest.

2.       Rhythm: Normal breathing rhythm will usually be regular. Breaths will be taken at regular intervals and will last for about the same length of time. Remember that talking and other factors can make normal breathing slightly irregular. Rhythm, although listed, isn’t always an absolute indicator of adequate or inadequate breathing because when people are aware that their breathing pattern is being examined, then they often will have slight irregularities just from being self-conscious and distracted. On the other hand, there can be circumstances when the patient has a regular pattern/rhythm, but is breathing inadequately. So, they might be exceeding the normal rate of breathing, but at a constant rhythm which doesn’t define their health properly. That’s why it is important for the EMT to consider all three items when evaluating inadequate breathing.

3.       Quality: Breath sounds, when auscultated with a stethoscope, will normally be present and equal when the lungs are compared to each other. When observing the chest cavity, both sides should move equally and adequately to indicate a proper air exchange. The depth of the respirations must be adequate. It is actually a good thing having trouble hearing breathing sounds because that could mean that they have potential adequate breathing. The depth of respirations (tidal volume) should be shallow if they have inadequate breathing. Chest expansion should be observed and noted, too. Since the muscles are somewhat deprived of oxygen if the patient is an inadequate breather, then this would effect circulation (aka: skin may appear pale or cyanotic and may even be cold/clammy). Snoring and/or gurgling are important indications of a serious airway problem and should be heard for when listening to breathing.

By using our stethoscope, we are able to answer the rate, rhythm, and quality of the patient’s breathing, and determine their breathing status. Inadequate breathing, obviously, is the type of breathing that isn’t able to support life. It’s not sufficient and if left untreated, the patient will surely die. By identifying this medical emergency, then we are able to better help the patient.