Physical assessment: Focused respiratory

Question 1

Respiratory status assessment

Answer 1

Conscious state - alert or altered?

General appearance - quiet and calm or distressed, anxious, struggling to breathe, exhausted?

Speech - clear fluent and steady or difficult, short sentences, or phrases, unable to verbalise.

Ventilatory rate - normal 12-16, abnormal greater than 18

Ventilatory rhytmn - regular even cycles or no respiratory pause, prolonged expiratory phase.

Ventilatory effort - Minimal with little chest and abdominal movement. OR Marked chest movement, use of accessory muscles.

Skin - pink/normal to person OR Pale and sweaty, cyanosis is a late and serious sign.

Pulse rate - normal 60-80 OR Tachycardia greater than 80/90. If bradycardia, late sign of respiratory distress.

Breath sounds - usually quiet OR Upper airway stridor, bronchospasm: wheeze, Pulmonary odema: crackles and possible wheeze. Are sounds equal?

Would also auscultate chest.