Agonal respiration
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| Agonal respiration Classification and external resources |
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Agonal respiration is an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by shallow, slow (3-4 per minute), irregular inspirations followed by irregular pauses. They may also be characterized as gasping, labored breathing, accompanied by strange vocalizations and myoclonus. The cause is due to cerebral ischemia, due to extreme hypoxia or even anoxia. Agonal breathing is an extremely serious medical sign requiring immediate medical attention, as the condition generally progresses to complete apnea and heralds death.
The term is sometimes (inaccurately) used to refer to labored, gasping breathing patterns accompanying organ failure (e.g. liver failure and renal failure), SIRS, septic shock, and metabolic acidosis, or in general any labored breathing, including Biot's respirations and ataxic respirations. Correct usage would restrict the term to the last breaths before death.
Agonal respirations are also commonly seen in cases of cardiac arrest, and may persist for several minutes after cessation of heartbeat. The presence of agonal respirations in these cases indicates a more favorable prognosis than in cases of cardiac arrest without agonal respirations.
Agonal respiration is not the same as, and is unrelated to, the phenomenon of death rattle.
See Also
External links
- About agonal respirations in cardiac arrest
- Interaction between emergency medical dispatcher and caller in suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrest calls with focus on agonal breathing. A review of 100 tape recordings of true cardiac arrest cases, Resuscitation. 2003 Jan;56(1):25-34.
Symptoms and signs: circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09, 785-786) | |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular system | heartbeat: Tachycardia - Bradycardia - Palpitation
blood flow: Heart murmur - Bruit/Carotid bruit - Epistaxis Gangrene |
| Respiratory system and other chest symptoms | Hemoptysis - Cough
abnormalities of breathing (Dyspnea, Orthopnoea, Stridor, Wheeze, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, Hyperventilation, Mouth breathing, Hiccup, Bradypnea, Hypoventilation) Chest pain - Asphyxia - Pleurisy - Respiratory arrest - Sputum - Rales - Hypercapnia |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
