Respiratory rate determines how well the body is taking and distributing oxygen throughout the body, it is an early warning system that demonstrates deterioration faster than other vital signs and can be seen hours before a major emergency, it is the first signal of trouble.

Changes in breathing rate can predict major medical events, including pneumonia, sepsis, shock, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism. Because it is often the first vital sign to become abnormal, it is a key component of hospital Early Warning Scores used to predict patient deterioration.

Beyond the rate itself, the depth and pattern of breathing are diagnostic tools for various disorders.

• Bradypnea (Slow Rate): Common in stroke, opioid overdose, increased intracranial pressure, and diabetic coma.

• Tachypnea (Fast Rate): Observed during anxiety, fever, exercise, shock, and sepsis.

When a patient’s health declines, the respiratory rate is typically the first to signal trouble.

• Respiratory Rate: The earliest indicator of respiratory, cardiac, or metabolic trouble.

• Heart Rate: Often remains normal even after the respiratory rate has already increased.

• Blood Pressure: Does not typically show changes until after significant deterioration has occurred.

• Temperature: Useful for identifying infection but is not a predictive measure of overall deterioration.