The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria are used to identify patients with a systemic response to infection or other inflammatory states. Meeting two or more of the SIRS criteria indicates a significant inflammatory response, which can help clinicians identify patients at risk for sepsis or other complications.

The criteria include the following:

1. Temperature: A body temperature either below 36°C (96.8°F) or above 38°C (100.4°F) suggests a systemic response to an infection or inflammation.
2. Heart Rate: A heart rate over 90 beats per minute indicates tachycardia, which can be a response to infection, fever, or other stressors.
3. Respiratory Rate: A respiratory rate greater than 20 breaths per minute indicates tachypnea or hyperventilation, often due to metabolic acidosis or respiratory compensation for infection.
4. White Blood Cell (WBC) Count: An abnormal WBC count (<4,000 cells/mm³ or >12,000 cells/mm³) or the presence of more than 10% immature neutrophils ("bands") suggests an immune response to infection or inflammation.

In the question, option C (Respiratory rate <12 breaths per minute) does not meet the SIRS criteria, as a low respiratory rate is not indicative of the systemic inflammatory response. Instead, it’s the elevated respiratory rate (tachypnea) that is a part of the criteria.