Identifying respiratory patterns

Identifying respiratory patterns

Type	Characteristics	Pattern	Possible causes
Apnea	Periodic absence of breathing		Mechanical airway obstruction Conditions affecting the brain's respiratory center in lateral medulla oblongata
Apneustic	Prolonged, gasping inspiration followed by extremely short, inefficient expiration		Lesions of respiratory center
Bradypnea	Slow, regular respirations of equal depth		Normal pattern during sleep Conditions affecting respiratory center: tumors, metabolic disorders, respiratory decompensation, and use of opiates or alcohol
Cheyne-Stokes	Fast, deep respirations of 30 to 170 seconds punctuated by periods of apnea lasting 20 to 60 seconds		Increased intracranial pressure, severe heart failure, renal failure, meningitis, drug overdose, and cerebral anoxia
Eupnea	Normal rate and rhythm		Normal respiration
Kussmaul	Fast (over 20 breaths/minute), deep (resembling sighs), labored respirations without pause		Renal failure and metabolic acidosis, particularly diabetic ketoacidosis
Tachypnea	Rapid respirations, rate rises with body temperature at about 4 breaths/minute for each degree Fahrenheit above normal		Pneumonia, compensatory respiratory alkalosis, respiratory insufficiency, lesions of the respiratory center, and salicylate poisoning