tachypnea

Tachypneic is a medical term used to describe someone who has excessively rapid breathing.

Tachypneic is the adjective form of the noun tachypnea, which is a state of excessively rapid respiration (breathing). Tachypneic is a technical term typically used only in formal medical contexts.

Example: The school nurse determined that the student became tachypneic after having an asthma attack.

Tachypneic comes from tachypnea, which is a combination of tachy-, meaning “swift or rapid” (used in words like tachycardia), and –pnea, meaning “breathing” or “respiration.” The first record of tachypneic comes from the late 1800s.

Medical professionals classify someone as tachypneic if they have a respiratory rate of more than 20 breaths per minute (the average resting respiratory rate for adults is between 12 and 20 breaths per minute). Common causes of tachypnea include asthma, pneumonia, anxiety, or even excessive exercise. Tachypnea is usually treated by treating the underlying cause.

A patient who is tachypneic is experiencing breathing that is rapid and shallow, whereas someone experiencing hyperventilation is breathing rapidly and deeply.

What are some other forms of tachypneic?

• tachypnea (noun)
• tachypnoeic (adjective, British spelling)
• tachypnoea (noun, British spelling)

What are some synonyms for tachypneic?

• polypneic

What are some words that share a root or word element with tachypneic? 

 

• tachycardia 
• tachyrhythmia
• tachymeter
• tachyon
• hyperpnea
• polypnea

What are some words that often get used in discussing tachypneic?

• rapid
• breathing
• respiration 
• exercise
• anxiety

Tachypneic is typically used by medical professionals like doctors and nurses. It can also be seen in contexts when someone wants to use the more technical term for rapid breathing.

Tonight I did the Cupid shuffle 7 months pregnant and I’m really proud of myself. #diaphoretic #tachypneic 🚑

— Taylor Murphy (@taylorbmurphy) January 1, 2019

triple cappuccino sounds great until I’m tachypneic & having an anxiety attack

— . (@aquathot) January 23, 2019

me: I am in peak physical condition also me: *diaphoretic and tachypneic after a 4 mile hike at little to no incline*

— Allie Gallo (@alllliecattt) July 21, 2017

 

 

Is tachypneic used correctly in the following sentence?

When I complained that I was experiencing rapid breathing, the doctor said I had tachypneic.