A method for determining a ventilation need specific for a patient is disclosed herein. The method includes providing a breath gas with a machine ventilator circuit from a starting pressure to lungs to start inspiration, and filling lungs to a predetermined breath gas pressure level. The method also includes determining in a control unit a filling volume of the breath gas needed to achieve the predetermined breath gas pressure level from the starting pressure, and determining in the control unit a lung elastic property based on a relationship between the determined filling volume of the breath gas and differences in the starting pressure and the predetermined breath gas pressure level. The method also includes determining in the control unit a respiration rate exploiting at least the lung elastic property. A corresponding arrangement is also provided.
