Is everyone really breathing 20 times a minute? Assessing epidemiology and variation in recorded respiratory rate in hospitalised adults

Abstract

The observed patterns suggest that RR is inaccurately recorded, even among those with cardiopulmonary compromise, and represents a 'spot' estimate with values of 18 and 20 breaths per minute representing 'normal.' While spot estimates may potentially be adequate to indicate clinical stability, inaccurate RR may alternatively lead to misclassification of disease severity, potentially jeopardising patient safety. Thus, we recommend greater training for hospital personnel to accurately record RR.