Clinical Diagnosis · Respiratory System · Medium

Tachypnoea

Meaning: Abnormally rapid breathing rate.

In practice: A rate above 20 per minute is a sign of pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and respiratory distress.

Word parts

  • tachy- means fast
  • -pnoea means breathing

Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.

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