RR
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Respiratory rate |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Medical, Writing & Everyday, Sports, Geography & Places |
RR has five meanings. The most common are Respiratory rate (patient assessment) and Relative risk (medical research); it can also stand for Rural route, Run rate and Ranch Road (Texas).
Meanings of RR at a glance
| # | RR stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Respiratory rate | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 2 | Relative risk | Medical › Medical Research |
| 3 | Rural route | Writing & Everyday › Mail and Postal |
| 4 | Run rate | Sports › Other Sports |
| 5 | Ranch Road (Texas) | Geography & Places › Address |
1. Respiratory rate
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Number of breaths taken per minute, counted by watching chest rise for 30 to 60 seconds. Normal adult values are about 12 to 20; raised rates are among the earliest signs of deterioration.
Example: RR 28, using accessory muscles, SpO2 89% on room air; rapid response called.
Often called the most neglected vital sign, it is frequently estimated rather than counted. A rate of 22 or more is a qSOFA sepsis criterion. Counting without telling the patient avoids self-conscious changes in breathing. Newborns normally breathe 30 to 60 times a minute.
2. Relative risk
Medical · Medical Research Abbreviations · also used in measurement
Ratio of the risk of an outcome in an exposed or treated group to the risk in an unexposed or control group, used in cohort studies and trials. An RR of 0.75 means a 25 percent lower risk, and an RR of 2.0 means double the risk.
Example: Vaccinated adults had an RR of 0.35 for hospitalization compared with unvaccinated adults.
Also called the risk ratio. Relative measures can sound impressive even when absolute differences are tiny, so absolute risk reduction and NNT add essential context. Hazard ratios and odds ratios are related but not identical measures. In vital signs RR means respiratory rate.
3. Rural route
Writing & Everyday · Mail and Postal Abbreviations · also used in geography
Identifies a rural delivery route in US and Canadian addresses, as in "RR 2 Box 152," used where homes lacked street numbers.
Example: Address the invitation to the Jensens, RR 3 Box 87, Clarion, IA 50525.
Rural-route addresses grew out of Rural Free Delivery. Many have been converted to city-style street addresses so emergency responders can find homes, but some remain. Canada Post also uses RR in rural addresses. On road signs, RR means railroad, as in RR XING.
4. Run rate
Sports · Other Sports Abbreviations
Cricket measure of the average runs scored per over by a batting side. The required run rate (RRR) shows how fast a chasing team must score.
Example: They need 72 off 48 balls, a required RR of nine an over.
Scoreboards show both current and required run rates in limited-overs matches. A six-ball over means a run rate of 6.0 equals one run per ball. In the IPL, RR also stands for Rajasthan Royals.
5. Ranch Road (Texas)
Geography & Places · Address Abbreviations
Texas state highway designation for roads serving ranch country, mainly in the Hill Country, as in RR 12 through Wimberley and Dripping Springs. Ranch Roads belong to the Farm to Market road system.
Example: Take RR 12 south to Wimberley, then follow the river.
Texas uses RR for Ranch Road, RM for Ranch to Market Road and FM for Farm to Market Road. The system was built to get crops and livestock to market on paved roads.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- PWD – Pink, warm and dry
- RA – Room air
- RASS – Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale
- RLE – Right lower extremity
- RUE – Right upper extremity
- SpO2 – Peripheral oxygen saturation
- T – Temperature
- TA – Temporal artery temperature
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
More medical research abbreviations
- QALY – Quality-adjusted life year
- QoL – Quality of life
- RCT – Randomized controlled trial
- ROC – Receiver operating characteristic
- RRR – Relative risk reduction
- RWD – Real-world data
- RWE – Real-world evidence
- SD – Standard deviation
See all 94 medical research abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.