American Society of Radiologic Technologist (ASRT) Practice Exam

If an emergency department patient is stable but breathing rapidly, how would a technologist describe this condition?

1. Bradypnea

2. Tachycardia

3. Bradycardia

4. Tachypnea

The correct answer is: Tachypnea

The accurate description of a patient who is breathing rapidly is termed tachypnea. This condition is characterized by an increased respiratory rate, typically defined as more than 20 breaths per minute in adults. In the context of the emergency department, noting that a patient is stable while exhibiting tachypnea can indicate that although the patient is breathing faster than normal, they are not in immediate distress or exhibiting other signs of acute health failure. Other terms in this question refer to different physiological states: bradypnea indicates slow breathing, which does not apply here; tachycardia refers to a fast heart rate, while bradycardia denotes a slow heart rate; neither is relevant to the breathing rate. Thus, recognizing tachypnea as the correct term accurately reflects the patient's respiratory condition.