Breathing Patterns Flashcards
Slow, shallow, irregular, or occasional gasping breaths; results from cerebral anoxia. Atonal gasps may be observed when the heart has stopped but the brain continues to send signals to the muscles of respiration.
Atonal
Prolonged, gasping inhalation followed by extremely short, ineffective exhalation; associated with brainstem insult; an ominous sign of severe brain injury.
Apneustic
Chaotically irregular respirations that indicate severe brain injury or brainstem herniation.
Ataxic
Irregular pattern, rate, and depth of breathing with intermittent periods of apnea; results from increased intracranial pressure and indicates severe brain injury or brainstem herniation.
Boot respirations
Unusually slow respiration
Bradypnea
Tachypneic hyperpnea; rapid, deep respirations caused by increased interacranial pressure or direct brain injury; drives the carbon dioxide level down and pH up, resulting in respiratory alkalosis.
Central neurogenic hyperventilation.
Gradual increase in rate and depth of respirations, followed by a gradual decrease of respirations with intermittent periods of apnea; associated with brainstem insult; not considered ominous unless it is grossly exaggerated or occurs in a patient with brain trauma.
Cheyne-Stokes respirations
Forced exhalation against a closed glottis; an airway-clearing maneuver; also occurs when foreign substances irritate the airways; controlled by the cough center in the brain (antitussive medications work on the cough center to reduce this sometimes annoying physiologic response)
Cough
Normal breathing; regular rate and pattern; inspiration and expirations are equal.
Eupnea
Spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, causing short exhalations with a characteristic sound; sometimes seen in cases of diaphragmatic (or phrenic) nerve irritation from acute myocardial infarction, ulcerating disease, or endotracheal intubation.
Hiccup
Abnormally increased rate and depth of breathing; seen in various neurologic and chemical disorders, including overdose with certain drugs.
Hyperpnea
Abnormally decreased rate and depth of breathing
Hypopnea
Deep, gasping respirations; caused by the body’s attempt, during metabolic acidosis, to rid itself of blood acetone via the lungs; observed in diabetic ketoacidosis; accompanied by a fruity (acetone) breath odor and, usually cracked and dry mouth and lips.
Kussmaul respirations.
Periodic deep breath of about twice the normal volume; forces open alveoli that routinely close from time to time
Sighing
Excessively rapid and shallow breathing; does not reflect the depth of respiration and does not mean a patient is hyperventilating (breathing too rapidly and deeply, resulting in a reduced carbon dioxide level); often involves moving only small volumes of air, or hypoventilation (much like a panting dog).
Tachypnea
