Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing followed by periods of apnea are called:

• A. ataxic respirations
• B. eupneic respirations
• C. agonal respirations
• D. Cheyne-Stokes respirations

Answer: (D)

Cheyne-Stokes respirations show a distinctive cyclical pattern where the breaths gradually become deeper and faster (crescendo), then slow and shallow, followed by a temporary pause in breathing (apnea) before the cycle repeats. This waxing and waning of breathing depth and rate, with clear periods of apnea, is what sets it apart from normal breathing and other abnormal patterns. It often appears in people with serious neurologic or cardiac conditions, such as advanced heart failure or brain injury, and it can signal that the patient’s condition is worsening. In contrast, ataxic respirations are irregular and unpredictable, eupneic respirations are normal, and agonal respirations are gasping, labored, and near death without the orderly crescendo–decrescendo pattern.