The Basic Geriatric Respiratory Examination CME/CE
From MedscapeCME Family Medicine Mark E. Williams, MD CME/CE Released: 06/09/2009; Valid for credit through 06/09/2010 The objective of the pulmonary assessment of a geriatric patient is to check for the following: Quality of respiratory efficiency; Gas exchange; and Presence of disease. Assessing Respiration Efficiency Of note, if the patient is bedfast, complete evaluation of respiratory efficiency is often less than optimal because chest expansion is not always symmetric and percussion notes may be less resonant. Respiratory Rate Although a patient's respiratory rate is often recorded in his or her chart (most often as 20 breaths per minute), cultivate the discipline to obtain it yourself. Count the respirations for a minute and observe the pattern and degree of respiratory effort. Note that moving the diaphragm without moving any air does not count as a breath. Normal respiratory rates for older patients are12 to 18 breaths