The IDHS should contact the flight surgeon when a patient has an unexplained respiratory rate less than how many breaths per minute?

• A. 12 breaths per minute
• B. 10 breaths per minute
• C. 14 breaths per minute
• D. 8 breaths per minute

Answer: (A)

Normal adult respiratory rate is about 12–20 breaths per minute. If the rate drops below 12 without an obvious cause, that’s bradypnea and can signal problems such as CNS depression or hypoventilation. In IDHS procedures, an unexplained bradypnea is a red flag that requires contacting the flight surgeon to assess fitness for flight and next steps. The 12 breaths per minute boundary defines the trigger: any rate less than that is cause for medical evaluation. Rates like 14 are within normal limits, while lower rates such as 10 or 8 would also be concerning, but the threshold used to decide escalation is the 12 breaths per minute mark.