--- title: "Respiratory Assessment: A Brief Overview" description: Like any medical emergency, treatment begins with a good assessment. Here's a review of the fundamentals of a proper respiratory assessment. image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Blog/GettyImages-494857086.jpg --- [![dark-header.jpg](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hub/212347/file-1107077240.jpg?width=940&name=file-1107077240.jpg "dark-header.jpg")](https://www.sscor.com/) ## **Thank you for visiting the SSCOR Blog.** Whether you're in a Hospital or EMS setting, this is the place for you. We'll share information on current industry news, tips, as well as the latest and greatest in SSCOR products. Our hope is that this blog is not only informative but a collaborative and open forum for you to share your thoughts on developing opportunities and challenges within your profession. Subscribe. Share your thoughts. Enjoy. -SSCOR Team   # [Respiratory Assessment: A Brief Overview](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-assessment-a-brief-overview) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) Mar 9, 2023 8:00:00 AM 3 min read - [![LinkedIn Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2628248555-png/images/icons/linkedin-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-assessment-a-brief-overview#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-assessment-a-brief-overview#) 0 ![Respiratory Assessment: A Brief Overview](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/GettyImages-494857086.jpg?width=700&name=GettyImages-494857086.jpg "Respiratory Assessment: A Brief Overview")One of the most critical scenarios a paramedic will respond to is a respiratory emergency. Respiratory distress can be linked to many [**underlying medical problems**](https://blog.sscor.com/obstructive-vs.-restrictive-respiratory-diseases-what-you-need-to-know), so it must be recognized immediately, treated proficiently, and monitored continuously. But like any medical emergency, treatment begins with a good assessment. So, let’s review the fundamentals of a proper respiratory assessment.   [![New: Free Emergency Aspirator Purchasing Guide for Hospitals](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/8b3f08ff-a209-4f08-b702-68de84bac45b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/8b3f08ff-a209-4f08-b702-68de84bac45b)   ## **Identifying Respiratory Distress** A patient’s complaint of difficulty breathing is subjective. As with pain, you must rely on what your patient tells you to gauge his or her status. But there are also [visible signs of respiratory distress](https://www.jems.com/training/how-assess-and-treat-acute-respiratory-d/) that you must recognize. They include:   - General appearance - Vital signs - Capnography - Level of consciousness - Obvious signs of distress - Positioning - Anxiety - Tachycardia - Tachypnea - Diaphoretic? - Pale or cyanotic? - Decreasing level of consciousness - Patient tiring/exhaustion - Cyanosis—a late sign and unreliable   ## **How Hard Are They Working to Breathe?** Assessing work of breathing is another vital step in identifying respiratory distress. If your patient is having to work to breathe, something is wrong. Here are five key signs that your patient is working too hard:   - The use of accessory muscles and obvious retractions - Inability to speak smoothly - Inability to lie flat - Diaphoresis - Agitation and restlessness that will decline to the loss of consciousness   ## **Identify the Pattern** The pattern of breathing can also be a good indicator of an underlying problem, so be sure to observe and document the patient’s respiratory pattern, especially if it changes.   - Kussmaul’s respirations: fast and deep labored breathing, often punctuated by sighs, associated with metabolic acidosis - Cheyne–Stokes: a cyclical pattern of breathing of progressive increased rate and depth of respirations followed by periods of apnea; often associated with overdose, acidosis, and increased ICP - Apneustic breathing: prolonged periods of gasping inspiration followed by brief, ineffective expiration - Hyperventilation: increased rate and depth of respirations associated with anxiety, fever, exertion, acid–base imbalance, or damage to the midbrain. - Bradypnea: abnormally slow rate of respiration associated with drug or alcohol ingestion, central nervous system lesions (both [**traumatic**](https://blog.sscor.com/portable-suction-devices-for-trauma-associated-airway-compromise) and non-traumatic), metabolic disorders, and fatigued patients - Apnea: the absence of respirations - Agonal respirations: an abnormal pattern that can be slow, shallow, deep, or gasping   [![NEW: Free Guide and Checklist for Paramedics: Determing the Contents of Your First-In Bag](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/05cfbf34-0ff9-44ef-bafe-aa8c9d72d546.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/05cfbf34-0ff9-44ef-bafe-aa8c9d72d546)   ## **Listen to Your Patient** Lung sounds are critical to a proper respiratory assessment. They can indicate what type of underlying disorder is affecting your patient. They include:   - Wheezes: indicating a constricted airway - Crackles: also called rales; heard when collapsed airways or alveoli pop open or when there is mucus in the airway - Rhonchi: associated with mucus in the airway - Stridor: a “seal bark” often accompanying infection, swelling, trauma, disease, or a foreign body Treatment begins with assessment, and no emergency is more critical than those involving the [**respiratory tract**](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-emergencies-when-and-when-not-to-use-suction). Early identification is key, so stay alert for the signs and symptoms of respiratory distress and always conduct a thorough assessment.   *Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in December 2016. It has been re-published with additional up to date content.*   [![ultimate_guide_to_purchasing_aspirator](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/e3e3529c-4d5a-4301-9c0f-92c47b999ccb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/e3e3529c-4d5a-4301-9c0f-92c47b999ccb) Topics: [Airway management](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/airway-management) ![Author Photo](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SDS2-648378-edited.jpg?width=70&name=SDS2-648378-edited.jpg) ## AboutSam D. Say Sam D. Say is owner and CEO of SSCOR, Inc., a medical device manufacturer specializing in emergency battery operated portable suction devices for the hospital and pre-hospital settings. Mr. Say has been involved in developing product for healthcare providers for over 35 years. His passions include contributing to the management of the patient airway and providing solutions that save lives in difficult conditions. 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