Vital signs are outward signs of what is occurring inside the body. They are the key signs that are used to evaluate the patient's condition. The first set of vital signs that you obtain is called the baseline vital sign. You should take vital sign every 5 minutes for an unstable patient and every 15 minutes for a stable patient.

Normal Range for Respiration at Different Ages

Age Range, breath per minute
Adult 12 to 20
Children 15 to 30
Infant 25 to 50
Last modified: Wednesday, 22 February 2017, 3:42 PM