Respiratory assessment is a core component of every EMS professional’s job. Your experience has likely already taught you that factors such as age, exertion, and emotional state can affect a respiratory assessment. You may also realize that the respiratory assessment that neatly tracks a textbook is a rare case indeed. Excellent respiratory assessments require a commitment to comprehensive care and a willingness to adapt based on new information and experiences. Here are five critical components of a skillful respiratory assessment.

Geriatric patients are more likely to experience respiratory emergencies such as pneumonia, aspiration, and severe respiratory infections. A range of physiological changes, including muscle atrophy, can make airway assessment and management more difficult.