Normal adult respiration is measured by:

• A. Counting breaths
• B. Thermometer
• C. Sphygmomanometer
• D. Digital BP cuff

Answer: (A)

Counting breaths is the way to quantify respiration rate. You observe the chest or abdomen rising and falling and tally each breath for a full minute, giving breaths per minute. This directly reflects how quickly a person is breathing and is the standard method for assessing normal adult respiration. The other devices measure different vitals: a thermometer checks body temperature, a sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure, and a digital BP cuff is another tool for blood pressure. So counting breaths is the correct method to assess normal adult respiration.