Exposure to smoke or toxic inhalants can cause difficulty breathing, but other injuries can also lead to respiratory distress.

Signs of respiratory distress include:

- Difficulty breathing
- Struggling to get air in and out
- Breathing too weak to be effective (breathing less than 6 times per minute)
- Rapid breathing (greater than 20 times per minute)

Casualties having a hard time breathing may also have penetrating chest wounds.

It is critically important to report findings of RESPIRATORY DISTRESS to medical personnel at the scene.