Breathing - slowed or stopped

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Overview

Treatment

Breathing - slowed or stopped

Alternative Names:

Respiration slowed or stopped; Not breathing; Respiratory arrest; Apnea
Home Care:

If a person has stopped breathing, emergency measures should be taken, and call for emergency help! Also see the information on CPR.

Call your health care provider if:

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If there is any interruption in spontaneous breathing, this is an emergency! Call 911 (or your local emergency number) and begin CPR if breathing has stopped.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

CPR or other emergency measures will be provided in an emergency room or by an ambulance EMT (emergency medical technician).

Once the patient is in a stable state, the medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting absent breathing in detail may include:

time pattern
- Has this ever happened before?
- How long did the event last?
- Has the person had repeated, brief episodes of apnea?
- Did the episode end with a sudden deep snorting breath?
recent heath history
- Has there been any recent history of an accident or injury?
- Has the person been ill recently?
other
- Did the episode occur while awake or asleep?
- Had there been any breathing difficulty before the breathing stopped?
- What other symptoms are also present?
- What medication does the person take?
- Does the person use street drugs?

A general physical examination will be performed, including listening for heart sounds and breath sounds. The heart and lungs will be monitored. Diagnostic tests will be determined by the results of history and physical examination data.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed are: